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flag Ukrainian refugee Mariia Vainshtein, 17, won NYC high school tennis titles after fleeing war and building a new life in the Bronx.

flag Mariia Vainshtein, a 17-year-old Ukrainian refugee, fled her home in Odesa during Russia’s 2022 invasion and arrived in New York with no English skills. flag She began playing tennis at age 5 for medical reasons and found purpose in the sport after relocating. flag Through the Cary Leeds Center for Tennis & Learning in the Bronx, she developed both her athletic and mental resilience under coach Rob Cizek. flag Vainshtein led James Madison High School to its first Public Schools Athletic League tennis title since 1978, won individual city championships, and claimed a Mayor Dinkins Cup trophy. flag Now preparing for college, she credits her success to perseverance, her mother’s support, and the stability provided by her new life in America, while her father remains in Ukraine due to ongoing danger.

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