When Leo Klink stood up to speak at his mother's funeral, just about all of the 700 in attendance knew about the tragedy that took place at the 17 year-old's last high school soccer game. Leo's mom's dying request made news all over Hawaii, and so did the soccer star's inspired performance that day.

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The mourners all wanted to know Leo a little better, and know his late mom a little better, too. Leo could have said anything at that funeral, or nothing at all, and been embraced for it. Yet his choice of words was telling and powerful.

Leo decided to tell a story about a little moth.









Leo Klink wasn't destined to be a great high school soccer player, or even a member of a great high school team. "I didn't think we were that good my freshman year," Klink said. His mom, Hiroyo, started him in the sport when he was seven, and she didn't have the World Cup in mind. She wanted most of all for her only child to go to college, and Leo worked hard in the classroom to make that happen.

"She taught me you can't just sit on your butt," Leo said. "You gotta get out there and work hard. Hard work gets you places."

Leo could see that clearly. His father, Paul, couldn't work at a 9-to-5 job because of a heart condition, so it was Hiroyo who spent long hours in Waikiki as an accountant. She still had time to teach her son, though, coaching him on the game, putting together highlights for the team, telling her son to respect his teammates, and insisting that he smile. Always smile.

"She had a great smile," said Michael Ching, Leo's high school coach. "She didn't speak a lot of English. But when I would see her, she would have that great smile."

Leo became known for that smile – his mom's smile.

Then he became known as a terrific soccer player. Klink won Gatorade's high school soccer player of the year for Hawaii in 2012 and took his team to the state finals where they lost 3-0. The honor went to him as a junior not only for his play, but also his academic performance and "exemplary character." He volunteered to help the March of Dimes and those affected by the Japan earthquake and tsunami in 2011. Hiroyo and Paul had raised a good kid.

This season, as a senior, Leo led Kalani back to the championship game with 24 goals. Standing in the way was Punahou, the well-known prep school attended by Barack Obama, Manti Te'o and Michelle Wie. Mom and Dad were, as always, in the stands.

Punahou scored first, 15 minutes in, and then Leo tied it on what Ching called "a perfect ball."

Early in the second half, the game was stopped because someone fell ill in the stands. The players on the field had no idea who it was, but word soon reached the head coach: It was Leo's mom.

"I didn't really know what to do," Ching said. "I kinda thought it would crush him. Our team is close and the relationship with the mom was close. It would devastate him, and we didn't know the condition."

Ching continued to wonder and worry until he was given a message: "Don't tell Leo. Do not tell Leo."

Hiroyo had suffered a stroke. Her husband, Paul, had the presence of mind to ask her to smile as she dealt with dizziness and weakness to her left side. When someone has stroke-like symptoms, asking him or her to smile gives a good read on what's wrong. Hiroyo couldn't smile, and that's when Paul knew it was bad. Paramedics were called and Hiroyo was sent to the hospital, but not before she insisted that her son not be told she was in trouble.

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