As children, Lauren Bradford and Charisse Woods knew little about Dan Gilbert and Mike Duggan before playing chess against them. But today he is grateful for the matches that helped him win in life.
Eighteen-year-old Indian Gukesh Domraju shed tears of joy after becoming the youngest undisputed world chess champion in Singapore on Thursday, December 12.
- Lauren Bradford, now a medical student, played chess against Dan Gilbert as a middle school student.
- University of Michigan student Charisse Woods played chess against Mayor Mike Duggan as a child.
- Both women are now focused on community service and giving back to the city that supported them.
Dan Gilbert is generally a man who needs no introduction, especially in the Detroit areas. And this has been true for a long time.
However, in 2016, when Detroiter Lauren Bradford was about to sit in front of Gilbert’s chess board for a friendly match played inside a historic Detroit office building, the young middle schooler learned about the famous businessman and developer.
“Everyone around me (gathered in One Campus Martius, formerly known as the Compuware Building) was excited and telling me what a great opportunity it was,” recalls Bradford, who was attending University Prep Science and Math Middle School at the time. “I was just a kid who loved playing chess against anyone. I didn’t know who the guy was, but I knew I had to beat him.”
Fast forward 10 years and the now 23-year-old Bradford is still facing challenges and trying to win in ways that improve the quality of life for those around him.
Bradford’s LinkedIn profile announces to the world that the 2020 Cass Technical High School graduate is a medical school student at Michigan State University, where she also earned a bachelor’s degree in human biology. During her educational journey, Henry Ford Health Research Scholar Bradford has also been involved in initiatives and programs that have promoted physical, social and mental health, along with community service engagement, for disadvantaged youth.
Bradford, who received a LeBron James Cleveland Cavaliers jersey and a Cleveland Cavaliers cap signed by all members of the Cavs’ 2016 NBA championship team from Gilbert after his game as a young player, says the path she is taking now as an adult is her way of saying “thank you” for the abundant enrichment opportunities she received while growing up in Detroit. This includes his years spent as a member of the Detroit City Chess Club, which provided Bradford with a face-to-face meeting with Gilbert, as well as many other adventures that aided his personal growth and development at the age of 6.
“I’m grateful to my family for providing a roof over my head, and I’m certainly also grateful to the changemakers like Coach Fite (founder of the Detroit City Chess Club) who have gone out of their way to help the entire community,” Bradford said. him” in the future.
“Coach Fite always had old chess club members from the past come and talk to us; and he introduced us to grandmasters from around the country like Irena Krausch and Alex Lenderman. We spent a lot of time learning chess throughout the year, but we learned more than just chess, everything applied to life.
“I was learning calculus in fifth grade at one of our summer chess camps, and after watching one of the many motivational videos that Coach Fite showed, I felt like I could drive a car and I would say to myself: ‘I have to do this thing.’
“Coach Fite always wanted us to focus. And one thing he always said that stuck with me was that if you start something, you’ve got to finish it.”
In line with Coach Fite’s philosophy, Bradford said she will not stop looking for volunteer opportunities on Thanksgiving in the remaining days before the holiday. And if she is unable to identify an opportunity to assist an agency, Bradford plans to create her own “goodie bags” (care kits), which she plans to distribute to non-domesticated Detroiters.
Earlier during the afternoon on November 24, Detroiter Charis Woods described a game plan for Thanksgiving that was a little different from Bradford’s. But as it turns out, they share many early connections that guide their actions today. Like Bradford, Woods met a high-ranking Detroiter at an early age. As an 8-year-old member of the Detroit City Chess Club, he played to a draw against Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan during a friendly chess match at the UAW-Ford National Programs Center in 2014.
“I didn’t understand who it was at the time, but I remember I felt very intense and I took the match very seriously,” said Woods, a 20-year-old soon-to-be senior at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, who was eager to express her love and gratitude to her family by cooking and serving delicious dishes, including their special, macaroni and cheese, during a family dinner in Detroit on Thanksgiving.
“And then, about five years later, I met Governor (Gretchen) Whitmer at a phenomenal event. So, I have a very funny story to tell as I grew up, when I met the mayor and the governor without knowing anything. But representing the city as a member of such a large chess club was always an honor and I think those early experiences definitely helped me develop my communication skills and taught me how to be flexible and professional in any setting. Should be.
“Those experiences also shaped my conduct and I learned how to face challenge instead of being afraid.”
For Woods, the often “wonderful” and enriching experiences that were an important part of his childhood were not limited to chess. Even before his initial chess experience, Woods began swimming competitively with the Detroit Recreation Swim Team under the guidance of Gary Peterson, a “great guy” whom Woods compared to Coach Fite. He also played tennis for years through a program offered by the Palmer Park Tennis Academy. And in high school, the 2023 Cass Tech graduate was a member of the school’s chess, swimming, tennis and wrestling teams, while also finding time to start a cooking club.
Woods, who is majoring in movement science at Michigan with aspirations of becoming a physical or occupational therapist, said, “I am forever grateful for the opportunities I have had and I don’t know what kind of person I would be without the opportunities my community has provided.”
“Actions and intentions speak louder than any words, and my community has always come through for me. It’s hard to find the words to really describe what it means, and to have the empathy of so many people behind that kind of support, but it means so much to me.”
Scott Talley is a native Detroiter, a proud product of Detroit Public Schools and a lifelong lover of Detroit culture in its diverse forms. In his second outing with the Free Press, which he grew up reading as a child, he’s excited and humbled to cover the many interesting people who define the city’s neighborhoods and its diverse communities. Contact him at Staley@freepress.com or follow him on Twitter @STalleyfreep. Read more of Scott’s stories at www.freep.com/mosaic/detroit-is/. Please help us develop great community-focused journalism by subscribing,
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