Back At It
Her story: “I participated in a lot of sports growing up and tried almost all of them to find one that I loved. In high school, I discovered a love for track which I did freshman and sophomore year, and was a sprinter and did hurtles. I then did volleyball sophomore year and was one of the best passers on the team and really enjoyed it. I also (played) hockey from the ages of 11 to 15 and have been skiing for 9 years. I did do competitive ski racing for one winter but got a concussion and had to stop. I worked hard to be the best I could be (in all sports); however, I never went far enough to compete past high school games because I just enjoyed being in what I saw as my own element. Also, once my health fell and I received too many concussions I saw it as a time for a break but skiing was the only sport I never stopped even if I was doing it competitively or just for fun.
“Around the age of 16, I went to my primary care doctor for a regular checkup and he found a lump on the right sight of my thyroid. I then made an appointment to get an ultrasound on my thyroid and they discovered two lumps. I went in for a biopsy and tested one of the lumps and it came back mutant but noncancerous.
Then I saw two different surgeons and settled on one. When they did the surgery they discovered stage one thyroid cancer and hashimoto’s. My whole thyroid was removed and I received two rounds of radioactive iodine treatment.
Despite all of this, I graduated high school six months early and applied to (college) early decision and got in. I have always enjoyed traveling and participating in community service through different programs. I have traveled to Costa Rica, New Zealand and Fiji with a company called Global Works. I spent about a month with Global Works in these different countries, doing community service in each. I then traveled to China, Canada and Germany through my high-school. I still continue at college to do community service with churches and schools. I am also now a philosophy major and in my second year. I also am in the sorority Chi Omega and the theater program. I have really enjoyed my experiences overall, the good and the bad, and I hope I can continue to travel and help people.”
Her short-term athletic goal: “Continue to enhance my skills to further my skiing”
Her long-term athletic goal: “To re-enter skiing competitively and compete in it for a ski house in Vermont or New Hampshire”
Personal Motto: “Be your best.”
