Life Champions in Action: Jade & Joy Lee

Meet Jade and Joy Lee—middle schoolers, wrestlers, content creators, and better known across the city as Chicago’s Lemonade Girls. You might recognize them from their viral lemonade stand that raised funds to attend a Chicago Sky game, a story that gained coverage from several local news outlets.

Joy, a 6th grader, and Jade, a 7th grader, attend CICS Prairie on Chicago’s South Side. Over the past year, they’ve built a strong social media presence with over 7,000 Instagram followers, using their platform to promote positivity, teamwork, and the power of chasing your dreams. They have even published a book that shares their journey and uses it to inspire others.

In Spring 2024, Jade and Joy joined Beat the Streets Chicago’s Roseland location after being introduced by their uncle and hashtag

Roseland Head Coach, Jeremy Powell. They were inspired to begin wrestling after seeing so many girls compete—and succeed—at the state level.

Since joining BTSC, the sisters have found a home on and off the mat. Jade’s favorite part is the strong sense of Community and how the organization supports both wrestlers and coaches. Joy loves the chance to learn new things and all the

Opportunities BTSC provides.

“Jade and Joy work hard every day and allow our coaches to push them past what they thought were their limits. I’m proud to say they began their wrestling careers right here at Beat the Streets Roseland,”

— Coach Jeremy Cricket Powell

Their dedication paid off this past season when both Jade and Joy qualified for the IKWF State Tournament, with Joy earning a podium finish. But their ambitions stretch beyond wrestling as they both have a strong desire to help people and aim to do it by growing their brand and other business ventures!

Follow their journey and growing brand on Instagram at @jadeandjoysworld, and catch their story featured on WGN TV from last summer!