Article by Phoenix writer Nick Cortese ’23:
Only three things in life are certain: birth, death, and change. What seems comfortable at one moment can grow into an ache before you know it. We experience the most apparent change every few months when we enter new seasons. In the words of Charles Dickens, “Nature gives to every time and season some beauties of its own.” In order to stay comfortable, at the start of each season we must locate these beauties and shake out the aches and pains.
But what happens when we put our pleasure to the side? What happens if we disregard our human nature towards adapting with the times? Some people do this for the thrill of the action, while others do it for the sake of rebelling against the norms. Or, like in the case of Mary Fitton ’25 and Emma Earl ’24, some people exit their comfort zone for a better cause.
Back in 2013, when Mary was very young, her newborn brother, Tommy Fitton, was born with Down syndrome. The family bore interest in doing what they can to make their ray of sunshine as happy as he can be. This led to the formation of Team ExtraOrdinary. Team ExtraOrdinary started as a group within the Fitton family that would run fundraisers for children with Special Needs. One event in particular that the group administered was the polar plunge.
For those who don’t know, a polar plunge is an event where people jump into icy waters during the winter. What makes it so special is how obscure the idea of swimming in the winter is. It goes against human nature and is generally uncomfortable, but that is what draws the attention of viewers. Due to this desire to see people take that leap of faith, outside companies tend to sponsor these events and allow people to make, or in most cases, donate money.
Mary had a vision for Team ExtraOrdinary that required much cooperation from her family, and part of the vision that Mary was determined to integrate was the plunge. “My parents completely backed our decision to start doing the plunge. We asked our parents not to do the plunge, so it was only kids.”
Once the team began to pursue the plunging, Team ExtraOrdinary started to grow. One of the newer members happens to be Kellenberg student, Emma Earl.
Mary and Emma met in a manner that might seem unconventional to the average Kellenberg student: on the train.
“We both took the train to school,” Emma said. “Mary and I have become really close friends and I am lucky to have a friend who takes the train with me.”
As their friendship blossomed, Mary asked Emma to join her in her group’s fundraisers, to which Emma delightfully accepted.
Today, there are about 40 kids in Team ExtraOrdinary, and they have raised around $100,000 that has benefited over 250 Special Olympians. Recently, the team was honored by the Town of Brookhaven, declaring November 20 as Team ExtraOrdinary Day. The credit is one of the highest honors they have received, but now goals continue to get bigger, as they will continue to raise money and awareness for the Special Olympics in their events.
Mary’s father, Rob Fitton expressed his gratitude in how everything has turned out, saying, “It is a wonderful event and has become a tradition for team members and their families.”
It is a crazy thought that we can take something so far out of our comfort zone and call it a ‘wonderful event’. It takes an extraordinary amount of bravery and humility to go against human nature for impersonal reasons. Mary and Emma have both turned something difficult and turned it into a fun and meaningful event, and they will continue to do this and help make a difference.