QUEEN OF KATWE and Unlikely Champions ~ Thoughts and Movie featurette

How often do we have people around us that find themselves in a seemingly impossible situation and yet they manage not only to survive these obstacles but to overcome them. There are unlikely champions all around us, many of whom never seek the spotlight and just live their lives quietly from day-to-day. You have to look carefully to see them but they are there.

I know of such an unlikely champion - B lived her life fighting to ensure those in the same situation as her would have a better life. The world she has lived in is one with many needs and lacks. But B has worked hard to get an education that many around her don't strive for. Her own health concerns have made her want to help prevent this from being the accepted norm of where she lives to becoming an exception. B is hoping to bring what she has learned home so that those she has grown up with will have the hope of a better tomorrow, one where medical help is just a few feet away rather than hundreds of miles.

People like B are unlikely champions who never win a medal, but they help make their small corner of the world better just through their efforts and their caring. These people are champions of the heart, whose greatest victories are those we never see. These  champions overcome the loss of family, health, and poverty through their perseverance and their drive to help others who may be in a similar situation. 

Disney’s QUEEN OF KATWE is based on the inspiring true story of Robert Katende and Phiona Mutesi.  Phiona was a young girl living in the slums of Katwe, Uganda.  One day she stumbles upon Katende and a group of children playing chess in a makeshift church.  Through the guidance of Katende and the game of chess, Phiona is encouraged to believe in herself.  Eventually, she finds herself not only competing in local chess matches, but winning in international competitions.  Robert and Phiona’s story celebrates the notion that champions can come from the most unlikely places.

QUEEN OF KATWE releases in theaters nationwide on Friday, September 30. 

The heartwarming featurette below features  Academy-Award winner Lupita Nyong'o and Academy Nominee David Oyelowo.

QUEEN OF KATWE Featurette.