“I first picked up a lacrosse stick in the second semester of eighth grade, and the sport clicked almost instantly. I originally tried out for the team because my friends and I were bored and wanted to try something new, and lacrosse seemed interesting. Watching other people play, I noticed them using skills I’d never seen in any other sport, and that mix of unfamiliarity and challenge made me want to give it a real try.
What started as a lighthearted decision quickly became something more. I grew into the sport fast and formed close bonds with my team. By the fall of my freshman year, I was one of only two freshmen to make the varsity roster.
A few weeks after rosters were announced, I broke my ankle playing football in a friend’s backyard. It happened the night before our Burning Flower tournament. We were outside passing around a football in the dark, and I tripped over a hole, going down hard enough that I immediately knew something was wrong. I was devastated. I cried so much because I had just accomplished one of my biggest goals, and suddenly, I was injured and facing half a year on the sidelines. Still, I like to think of it as God humbling me and reminding me that I’m more than just my athleticism.
When I got my ankle checked out, the doctor told me that my ligament was torn clean off the bone, and I had a fracture. I ended up in a boot and on crutches. I struggled with the crutches from the start. I kept falling, bumping into people and even accidentally poking them. Eventually, the school nurse said it wasn’t safe for me to use them anymore, so I had to switch to a wheelchair.
Being in a wheelchair was honestly a funny experience. Pushing a wheelchair for long periods of time made my arms sore, so I relied on my friends to get me around. There were multiple times when I got stranded in the middle of the hallway with no way to get to class.
Even though the injury held me back, it also pushed me to grow. I didn’t get much playing time freshman year due to my injury, but that became motivation. I used it to push myself to work harder and become a better athlete. This reminded myself that I only get one life, and I should give everything I have to reach my full potential. I also think about my little brother Rylan and how I want to be a role model for him — someone who shows him that his big sister can do anything she sets her mind to.
Sophomore year finally started to look up for me. I was getting stronger, playing well and feeling confident on the field again. But then, during a JROTC Raiders competition at Fort Knox, I fell down a hill and broke my ankle for the second time. Since it happened in the middle of a 5K run, I had to finish the race on a broken ankle or my team was disqualified, which only made the injury worse.
Before I knew it, I was back in a wheelchair, missing practices and frustrated that I couldn’t be out there with my teammates. It felt like I was watching the world move on without me.
Junior and senior year changed everything. I played the past two seasons without any major injuries and grew so much as a player, even becoming captain. I became stronger, more confident and more aware of what I could handle. After everything I went through, I learned that it’s not about where you start, but how you finish.”
