Love From Everywhere

I cannot believe all the people that reached out to me through the process. I heard from people all over the world. Former competitors reached out from other countries. Family and friends carried me through some of the most difficult times. Even my current relationship evolved because one amazing girl just decided to reach out and give her best wishes.

It was amazing. You never realize just how important you are to people until something like this happens. Even other universities would show their support.

And Alabama?! Best support ever. My entire track team signed and sent a shirt to me, but it wasn’t just their names, it was messages of personal condolences and encouragement. I would hear from other student-athletes and coaches as well, not just track.

It’s why I initially came to Alabama. It just felt like family. It was a family atmosphere amongst the throwers, amongst the team, amongst the entire athletics community.

Coach Waters says after every practice, “Be good to your brothers and sisters.” And I certainly felt that from my brothers and sisters at Alabama.

Faith and Perseverance

Thanks to all that support, I am now in a place of recovery. From as low as 190 pounds, I’m back to 270 pounds. Alabama, remaining ever helpful, even assisted in regaining my four years of eligibility after appealing to the NCAA. Thanks to them, I just finished my freshman year and am now preparing for my sophomore year.

Honestly, this is all thanks to Alabama. If it weren’t for the careful eye of Dr. Robinson, I may not have lived to see today. Thanks to their wonderful staff, I’m able to continue to persevere and chase the goal of the Olympics. Without them, I may not have been able to still work toward that dream. I’m ever grateful for them.

This whole process, obviously, changed my life. I learned the importance of faith and perseverance. Faith is vital. You have to believe in something. It can be God. It can be a goal. It can just be yourself. You just have to have something to strive for, which directly correlates with perseverance. You have to have that fire and that drive to finish strong and not quit. Things will get tough, believe me. It was tougher than anything I’ve ever done, but you have to push and be strong.

The phrase that stuck with me through the whole process was something Dr. Robinson told me when we first discovered the tumor. Yes, the odds were stacked against me. It was unlikely I’d ever throw again. It was unlikely I’d even live through this. Still, I asked about the possibility of me ever throwing again, and his response still resonates with me. It’s something I take with me every day. It’s the truest sentiment I can think of for me personally, to hold onto while I fought.

“Never say never to an athlete.”