As the newly released film Marty Supreme brings the world of table tennis into the cultural spotlight, it also quietly parallels a powerful real-life story behind the sport. Appearing in two scenes in the film is Yasiris Ortiz, a professional table tennis champion and Bronx-based community leader whose journey from international competition to grassroots youth empowerment mirrors the film’s central themes of discipline, belief, and dreaming beyond circumstance.
Ortiz’s appearance in Marty Supreme is not a performance in the traditional sense. She is not portraying a fictional character, but rather bringing authenticity to the screen as a real athlete whose life has been shaped by the sport. For Ortiz, table tennis has never been just a game. It has been a tool for transformation, one she now uses to create opportunity for young people across New York City.
Born and raised in Bayaguana, Dominican Republic, Ortiz discovered table tennis at a young age and quickly fell in love with the sport after competing in her first tournament. That passion carried her beyond her hometown and onto the international stage, representing the Dominican Republic as a member of the national table tennis team at the cadet, junior, and senior levels. Through competition, she traveled the world and learned firsthand how sport can open doors far beyond what once seemed possible.
In 2016, Ortiz moved to New York City with her family, facing the challenges of adapting to a new country, learning English, continuing her education, and rebuilding her athletic life from the ground up. Unsure whether she would be able to continue competing, she spent countless hours riding the subway across the city in search of table tennis clubs where she could practice and stay connected to the sport that had shaped her identity. What began as persistence soon became purpose.
That purpose crystallized when Ortiz began teaching table tennis at an elementary school in the South Bronx. There, she witnessed something transformative. Students arrived to class excited, engaged, and eager to learn. Through table tennis, they developed focus, confidence, discipline, and joy—qualities that carried into the classroom and beyond.
As interest grew, neighboring schools began reaching out, and what started as a single program evolved into Spin & Learn, an education and wellness organization founded in 2020 that integrates table tennis with academics, physical fitness, and social-emotional learning.
Since its launch, Spin & Learn has partnered with more than 45 public schools across New York City, serving thousands of K–12 students through in-school enrichment, after-school programming, wellness days, assemblies, and author visits connected to Ortiz’s children’s book, Yasi the Champion.
The organization has become known for meeting students where they are, using movement and play to build lifelong skills, confidence, and a sense of belonging. It delivers high-quality programming at scale through its strategic partnerships with leaders in the global table tennis industry. Spin & Learn partners with Paddle Palace, the leading table tennis equipment supplier in North America, and Stiga Sports as Ortiz’s official table tennis partner.
Now, as Marty Supreme brings renewed visibility to the sport that shaped her life, Ortiz is marking a new chapter with the official launch of the Spin & Learn Foundation, a newly established 501(c)(3) non-profit created to expand access to table tennis, wellness, and enrichment programs beyond the school setting and into the broader community.
“The Spin & Learn Foundation was created because families kept asking for a place where their children could continue training after leaving their school programs,” said Ortiz. “I saw how quickly access could disappear once students moved on, even though the interest and talent were still there. The Foundation is about creating continuity, making sure young people and families have a place to grow, train, and belong.”
While Spin & Learn operates primarily within schools, the Foundation is focused on long-term, community-based impact. Its mission is to provide programs for economically disadvantaged individuals across diverse communities, ensuring access to enrichment opportunities through table tennis that promote physical and mental wellness, build personal resilience, and develop leadership skills for lifelong success.
Through future partnerships with community centers and shared spaces, the Foundation aims to serve not only youth, but also families, adults, and seniors who may not otherwise have access to structured recreational and wellness programming.
Ortiz sees a meaningful connection between the themes of Marty Supreme and the work she has spent years building. “I relate deeply to this film because I came to this country without a clear path or knowing what my future would look like. I just had a dream,” she said.
“Everything I’ve built since then, started with believing in that dream,” Ortiz added. “That’s the same message I want every student we serve to understand. Table tennis is the tool, but discipline, life skills, leadership, and belief in yourself are what truly shape your future.”
As table tennis reaches new audiences through film and popular culture, Ortiz believes the moment carries responsibility as well as opportunity.
“Representation matters,” she said. “But representation paired with access is what creates real change. Seeing the sport on screen is powerful, but what matters most is what happens off screen—in schools, in communities, and in spaces where young people need support and mentorship.”
With the launch of the Spin & Learn Foundation, Ortiz is working to ensure that the attention surrounding Marty Supreme translates into something lasting: expanded opportunity, deeper community engagement, and a growing network of spaces where sport, education, and wellness intersect.
From the big screen to the Bronx, Yasiris Ortiz’s story continues to unfold, not as fiction, but as a living example of how belief, discipline, and access can change lives.
About Spin & Learn
Spin & Learn is an educational and wellness organization that combines table tennis, physical fitness training, academics, and social-emotional learning (SEL) to create fun, active, and meaningful learning experiences for students. Spin & Learn primarily serves K–12 students across New York City, partnering with public schools, community organizations, and families to bring engaging, inclusive programming into learning environments.
TEACH is the largest national education publication in Canada. We support good teachers and teaching and believe in innovation in education.
