The Ponte Vedra High swimming and diving team hosted its last regular season swim meet on Oct. 7 with Nease and Beachside High Schools also taking part.
The meet was senior day for Ponte Vedra High and included several festivities, including Madison Schemitz speaking with the three teams and their parents before the meet.
Schemitz shared her story and information about the One Love club that she started at Ponte Vedra High with the goal of helping raise awareness of relationship violence and what to look for.
"My name is Madison Schemitz, and as many or all of you know, this past summer I became a survivor of dating violence,” Schemitz said. “I was stabbed 17 times resulting in a spinal cord injury that left me paralyzed from the chest down.”
It was her tragic experience that led her to develop a partnership with the One Love Foundation, which is a nonprofit organization that was created by Sharon Love, whose daughter Yeardley Love was tragically killed by her ex-boyfriend at the University of Virginia in 2010.
“They empower young people with the tools and resources they need to see the signs of healthy and unhealthy relationships and bring life-saving prevention education to their communities,” Schemitz said. “My goal is to help spread awareness of abuse throughout our community. You never know what people are going through. It's more than just romantic relationships, it's friends, families, parents, teachers, coaches, and so on. One Love doesn't just provide you the education of what to do if you're experiencing firsthand abuse, but also how to help someone else see the signs of it.”
With October also being domestic violence awareness month, Schemitz has been making speaking appearances at various stops, including one at the University of North Florida as she strives to create awareness for those in college as well as for those in high school.
“My goal is to be here for as many people as I can be. Having the proper education could save a life. If you aren't yet a part of One Love at Ponte Vedra and are looking to, any and all are welcome. If you are looking to start a One Love chapter at your high school, I encourage you to do so. All of their information is on One Love's website, if you're interested in learning more about how you can get involved. Thank you all for having me, listening, and learning more about One Love's mission. Happy senior night and Go Sharks!”
Schemitz has received much support from the community since her incident, with many using #madisonstrong on their social media platforms in order to show their support.
A gofundme account was created and remains in effect for anyone in the community looking to help Schemitz and her family as they continue to pay off the doctor bills that they accumulated following the incident.
Residents can go to www.gofundme.com/f/help-for-madison-schemitz-and-family to donate to the cause and help them as they continue to recover from that difficult day.
Schemitz is not allowed to give interviews due to the ongoing investigation but gave her permission for The Recorder to use the quotes in the story, which were part of the statement she shared during senior day.
