9-year-old Khlani Silvia of Fall River has advanced to the Top 15 in the 2026 Youth Athlete of the Year competition and can continue to advance with your help.
Silvia’s mother, Sarah Amaral, said the family and local community have been backing Khlani throughout the contest.
Amaral described her daughter as a multi-sport athlete who plays softball and basketball, trains in taekwondo, and spends extra time working on her pitching.
“She just turned 9, and I’m really proud of how dedicated she is and how hard she works at everything she does,” Amaral said.
On her contest page, Khlani stated that she works hard, never gives up, and likes challenging herself in every sport she plays. She said softball, basketball, and taekwondo each push her in different ways, and that she especially enjoys pitching and learning new skills.
Among the moments she is proudest of, Khlani said she became the youngest member of her taekwondo demo team, made the sparring team, earned a spot on the Mass Titans 10U softball team, and has been asked to join local basketball teams.
The national Youth Athlete of the Year contest awards $25,000 and a chance to be featured with 3Brand in Sports Illustrated and on CBS. Supporters can vote on Khlani’s page at athleteoftheyear.org/2026/khlani-e39f.
