Anita Mayfield-Sheehan was selected by the Youth Award Nominating Committee as the 2017 Brookline Youth of the Year for her courageous comeback from life-threatening heart surgery in March 2016. She persevered and made it back to her role as captain for the 2016/2017 Brookline High School Field Hockey and Ice Hockey teams, leading and inspiring both teams. Sen. Elizabeth Warren announced Anita’s selection via video on the big screen at the Coolidge Corner Theatre.
The Brookline Youth Awards were founded in 2011. Anita joins past recipients, Lesly Suriel Guerrero, Catherine Marris, Ben Hoff, Shirley Estime, Gavin Hui and Caroline Cutlip as the event’s Youth the Year.
BrooklinePD Deputy Superintendent Michael Gropman would stay by Anita’s side, pledging to be there when she returned to the field and ice. Mayfield-Sheehan said she had a coach she really looked up to, Colleen Boyle. Part of her motivation to make it back was to some day say to Coach Boyle, “Here I am, I told you I could do it.”
Mayfield-Sheehan is looking into colleges where she can study animal science and biology. She only wants to go to a school where she can play ice hockey.
“I feel like I can make it through anything if I can make it through open heart surgery,” she said.
Hear from the 2017 Brookline Youth of Year, Anita Mayfield Sheehan:
Sen. Elizabeth Warren making the announcement: