tinA teresA pihL

Social Activist. Trailblazer. Visionary.

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Photo: Tony Duffy

tinA’s Purpose

CATALYST. CONNECTOR.

tinA teresA pihL lives at the crossroads of race, heritage, and nationality which has gifted her the ability to deeply understand some of the most complex layers of humanity. Her goal is to unlock what really creates connection and belonging, both within herself and within the human family.

pihL’s (pronounced peel)  life story must be told because it highlights the beauty of embracing identity- how honoring each individual truth liberates us all from the fear and shame of false narratives.

In a time when our political climate seeks to divide us we need stories like hers that show us that the only true “self” is the one we’re constantly creating.

“When you talk about the sun, you will see her beams.” – Canadian Proverb

tinA teresA pihL

PIONEER. LEADER. ACHIEVER.

tinA teresA, affectionately known as Sweet-T, has an indomitable spirit and an unparalleled drive that has allowed her to be an extraordinary achiever in the face of adversity. pihL (pronounced peel) has lived a unique constellation of experiences that has made her a trailblazer and a lightning rod for truth that cuts through our common shadows and deeply held barriers. She is a transracial adoptee of Antiguan heritage, with both U.S. and Canadian citizenship and American and German upbringing. pihL crosses multiple socially opposing identities, constantly gaining an intimate understanding of where they collide and where they divide.

She is a brave community builder who is relentless in her commitment to bringing the best out of all of us. For twenty years she worked with disadvantaged communities to provide them with access to resources, helping them to thrive. She uses her tenacity, social entrepreneurship, and creativity to help foster inclusivity for neighborhoods, companies, and organizations.

pihL has successfully built two non-profits and spearheaded six community projects. She co-founded the Habitat for Humanity Cross-Country Bicycle Challenge, which became the single largest fundraiser for any Habitat affiliate in the world, raising roughly $2.4 million. She also served as the inaugural Executive Director of the Spanish Lake Community Development Corporation, located in a struggling suburb of North St. Louis County.

pihL is a graduate of Yale University, M.I.T. and a 2004 U.S. and Canadian Olympic Qualifier in women’s freestyle wrestling. Her excellence knows no bounds and is a testament to what is possible.

“Anfangen ist leicht, beharren eine Kunst.” (Starting is easy, persistence is an art.)  – German Proverb

Her Story

INSIGHTFUL.POWERFUL.INSPIRING.

Below are brief excerpts from her page-turning memoir.

Olympic Dream

“My Olympic dream started when I was 10 years old. I was sitting on the dark brown shag rug in my White parent’s Connecticut home. It was the summer of 1980 and the lazy pace of the day found me watching the Olympic Games on our enormous floor model television. Looking up I saw all of the colors of the different flags, the fanfare of the crowd, and the sweat-drawn pride on the faces of each country’s greatest. “That, I want to do that!!!… I was playing soccer at the time. I was good at soccer, so good that a few years later in middle school I became the first and only girl to make the boys’ soccer team. That was just a glimmer of what lay ahead – an ongoing desire to be the best!”

By Other Names

My youngest brother’s name was Freeman when we adopted him. Freeman was three, I was eight, and Sebastian* was nine. My parents asked Sebastian and me if they should keep Freeman’s first name, have Freeman as his middle name, or omit Freeman altogether. I liked Freeman—the name his birth mother had given him. I also wanted our family to retain Freeman in some way, to preserve part of his black identity.

Instead, my parents omitted Freeman altogether. They gave him my father’s uncle’s name, Joseph*, and my father’s middle name, Barry*. My brother was Free Man no more.

*Names changed

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Photo: Danielle Hobeika