Paige Calendine: 'There is no quit in her'

ZANESVILLE − Paige Calendine is pretty well known around Zanesville. The Maysville Middle School sixth-grader competes in gymnastics, as hundreds of little girls age do, and archery, a sport that continues to grow through the National Archery in the Schools Program. She plans on learning to snowboard next year and is toying with the idea of participating in track.

Those who know her know she will find a way to do whatever she sets her mind to, despite whatever difficulties the world puts in her way, as she has her entire life. Paige, now 11, was born without legs. Learning to swim, or shoot an arrow or swing back and forth on the uneven bars is just another challenge to overcome.

Paige will be the subject of a documentary film this spring. Documentary filmmakers Brad Hammer and Constance Brenneman started filming earlier this month and will follow her through a busy weekend when she competes in a state-wide gymnastics tournament and the NASP state archery tournament next week.

Hammer, a Maysville High School graduate, saw some videos of Paige doing gymnastics. "I was completely blown away, inspired by her," he said. "I called Constance and said I think we have our next documentary."

Heidi Calendine, Paige's mom, is excited for the rest of the world to meet her daughter. She hopes the film will help parents of children born with handicaps realize they aren't alone, and that children realize they can overcome their challenges. "Just because you are different, you can still do whatever you want, you might have to go about it differently."

"There's nothing she won't do," Paige's father, Sean Calendine, said. "There is no quit in her. She'll find a way to do it.

"She has a drive, it's unreal," he said.

"I think it is because we treat her like she is normal," Heidi said. "We don't adapt anything for her at home. I just told her the real world isn't adaptive. We just raised her to be a regular kid and not to see limitations."

"I'm normal," Paige said. "I'm not different from anyone else."

Heidi asked her daughter if she wanted to do the film. "I'm game for it, but ultimately, she's the one that makes the decision because it's her life." Paige doesn't seem concerned about having a film crew following her around for one of the biggest weekends of her life. "It feels awesome," she said of being an inspiration to others.

Michael Harper, a teacher at Maysville Elementary School and NASP coach, met Paige through his son, Maysville football standout Nate. Himself a standout archer, now at Kentucky's University of Pikeville, Nate introduced her to the sport. The Harper boys, Nate, Mathew, 16, and John, 13, became like adopted brothers.

Michael sees her fighting spirit every practice and competition. "For her to be doing what she is doing in just a year is amazing," he said. "It is very much a mental game. There are physical things, but we overcame those pretty quickly. She adapts really easily, now it is just continuing to get better."

Paige shot her first 50, a perfect score, during a recent visit from Pikeville assistant archery coach Jonathan Clemins. Clemins is also the head coach of TEAM USA’s Paralympic Archery Team.

Viewers will get to watch Paige compete in the NASP state tournament on April 1, then the USA Gymnastics Xcel state gymnastics tournament the next day. If there is a message she would like viewers to take home, it is that "it doesn't matter about the scores," she said, although Michael said Paige will compete hard, simply because she is a competitor. "It matters you are having fun, having a good time. There are a lot of challenges in these two sports, and you can overcome them."

The documentary will provide an intimate snapshot of Paige's life and and overall picture simultaneously, Hammer said. Titled "Built Different," it will give viewers "a full overview from her birth to some of her challenges, how her support from the community and her friends have allowed her to blossom," Brenneman said. "She really is a product of all the love and support from everybody in Zanesville, which I think is a beautiful part of the story." The filmmakers have started an Indigogo campaign to raise funds for the production, including entry fees to film festivals. To contribute, visit the Indigogo website and search Built Different.

A premiere for the documentary has been scheduled for June 22, at Secrest Auditorium in Zanesville. Tickets are $15 for adults and $5 for kids. The money raised from ticket fees will go to the costs of various aspects of production, with a portion going to the Calendine family.

ccrook@gannett.com

740-868-3708

@crookphoto