Andonia Ananias (Southern California): A sophomore in high school, Andonia Ananias is running to the finish line – and fast! As a freshman she became a letterman in Varsity Track. Accolades include breaking the girls’ varsity school record for both the 100 and 200 yard dash. On top of her astounding track abilities, she is a stellar student holding a 4.1 GPA. When Andonia is not running the track or hitting the books, she is in touch with her Greek roots, happily serving at a Greek restaurant or taking Greek school lessons. She surely looks like a future Olympic Track participant; we can’t wait to see where she runs next.
Athina Ananias (Southern California): She gives “dancing queen” new meaning; Athina Ananias rolls in to her moves on roller skates. At just 11 years old, she was ranked #9 in the nation for her age division in the Competitive Freestyle Roller Skating. Now 13, she has recently been awarded silver and bronze medals at the Southwest Regional Championships in Fresno, CA. Athina’s accomplishments have qualified her for the U.S.A. Roller Sports National Championships, which are to be held in Nebraska this coming summer. Most impressive, Athina has even been moved up to compete against 18-19 year olds in the Junior World Class. Like her sister Andonia, Athina is a diligent Greek School student as well. Roll on!
Christos Giagos (Southern California): They call him… THE SPARTAN. Christos Giagos is a picture of strength, especially when he’s in the cage and throws his gloves up. He’s been a professional Mixed Martial Artist since 2009, and on top of that he has participated in Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) Fight Nights. Christos competes in the Lightweight division. He is part of the MMA team Black House, which is based out of Brazil. Follow him on Instagram @cgiagos and LIKE him on Facebook, search Christos “The Spartan” Giagos.
Stavro Victor (Bay Area, CA): Photographer, Videographer, Content Creator, Stavro Victor continues to add successful credits to his list of many talents. In this ever-growing world of tech, people like Stavro are extremely important. An alum of Cal Poly Pomona, his schedule was full. His time included acting as co-founder and director of events for hosting the first and second annual TEDx Talk for Cal Poly Pomona and he was the Multimedia Developer and Videographer for the college. Stavro has found a great way to interweave his culture into his passions. Growing up, he danced at FDF with the multiple award and Sweepstakes winning Anemos of Ascension Cathedral (Oakland, CA). This last summer, Stavro was a counselor at Ionian Village Summer Camp where he created video montages covering the adventures of the camp in Greece. The montage is nothing short of phenomenal. With his degree in hand, Stavro has made a successful splash into “life after graduation. Whatever your event may be, Stavro knows how to capture the flare, ambiance, and essentials. Visit com for more info, or follow him on Instagram @stavromedia.
Thea Cartier (Arizona): Competitive swimmer Thea Cartier ranks among the mermaids. At the young age of 8 years old, Thea swam from Alcatraz to the shore of the San Francisco Bay. Yes, at 8 years old! She also swam from one side of the Golden Gate Bridge to the other, the day after she swam Alcatraz. Thea participated in that endeavor every year until she started high school, and had His Eminence Metropolitan Gerasimos‘ prayer and support along the way. Adding to the accomplishment of swimming these great distances, in 2008 she held the record for the youngest swimmer to complete those swims. A girl with a vision, she would like to earn dual citizenship in Greece and one day swim in the Olympics for Team Greece. A dedicated youth of the SF Metropolis, Thea is the Secretary of Maids of Athena, and involved in Senior GOYA and FDF. She is also a Special Olympics Volunteer Coach. Picture it now, the 2020 Olympic games cheering Thea on!
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