RICHMOND, Va. -- The energy and excitement that brewed inside The Robins Center could be heard and felt for miles, as hundreds collected in the heart of the University of Richmond's campus.
It was an assembly of some of the best athletes, coaches, and artists from across the state, all gathered together to kick off the 2023 Summer Special Olympics.
"I’m excited, we were so excited coming up for this event so I’m just ready to take it all in," said Nicole Buckley.
The music manager was there to celebrate some very special performances both in the field and on the stage.
One of those performances came from Virginia Beach singer Immanuel Mitchell.
Mitchell records under the name Gifted Hands.
Born without hands, it was a nickname given to him as a child.
"My god sister specifically gave me the name Gifted Hands," he said.
Over time, Mitchell said he's grown to find it the perfect alias.
"I was becoming more and more comfortable within my own skin," he said. "God was showing me that even though I was upset with God that I don't have physical hands, he was showing me, 'Son, I’ve given you Gifted Hands.'"
Growing up in Norfolk, Mitchell said he battled with his uniqueness.
"I was figuring myself out throughout my youth so I felt like I had to act out in order to fit in," Mitchell said.
He said he later found a love for music, first performing with his brothers at church.
It wasn't until his teenage years that he realized just how much those musical melodies would be his saving grace.
"When I turned 15, I started writing for myself," he said. "I was going through depression and suicidal thoughts, so music became a coping mechanism for me."
He said composing creations became his crutch in times it seemed like all he could do was fall.
"In my living room I told God, you’re going to have to tell me why I am here because I don’t know how to belong," he said. "And thank God I didn't end my life that night, I cried myself to sleep. That weekend I had a performance at my god sister's album release party. When I performed the whole audience stood up."
By 2016, he was writing songs and sharing his gift with his community, slowly gaining traction through his vulnerability on the beat.
"One of the members from Mobb Deep posted my submission for the challenge," he said about the moment he felt his career was going to soon take off.
Michell said while he was gaining self-confidence, he hit severe writer's block in 2020.
"It took me 16 years to be comfortable knowing that I’m going to have to live with having one arm my whole life, but here I am now with keloids on my face, on my ears and I can’t get rid of them right now," he said.
Determined to push through and see value in the vessel God gave him, he kept creating.
"I wrote a song [in 2020] called 'Trying Not to Lose Hope.' Keep in mind God is my ghostwriter, I don’t know how I write anything," he said. "When I write a song my prayer is that the song will be powerful, purposeful, positive, and timeless."
This eventually led to him winning a contest for a music video on a major platform, creating a song and video that would resonate with the eyes and ears of people across the world.
"I recorded the song, did the video, and the song hit 1 million views in the first week," he said. "God had me fill in this gap around the world. People were saying it’s OK to be human, it's OK to not be OK."
The crescendo his voice created carried, from celebrities like Kirk Franklin to millions of people on social media.
"Every time somebody said something to me, it was God confirming, 'Hey remember that question you asked? This is why I have you here. This is why I created you, son. This is your purpose,'" Mitchell said.
He said with each song he writes, he hopes to help at least one person, hoping they’ll help someone else.
With each performance, Mitchell said he hoped to lead with love and leave with light permeating each soul.
"He’s an inspiration because I mean he’s proven you can do anything regardless and that's why I coach," one fan said to Mitchell after his performance.
"I listen to his music and it makes me feel like I’m happier in a place and it’s worth being here," said another fan.
Mitchell said he thanks God every day and feels this is only just the beginning.
"I still don't have physical hands," he said. "But I have Gifted Hands."
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