A roadblock
Unfortunately, growing up in Columbus, there was quite a shortage of possibilities for girls in hockey. It had always been my first love, so exploring something new came with its fair share of skepticism on my part.
Around middle school, though, I decided to give lacrosse a try.
After all, maybe I could just use it to stay in shape for hockey season and hope for more opportunities to open up down the line.
Much to my surprise, however, hockey became an afterthought.
I completely fell in love with lacrosse and grew incredibly fond of the midfield position.
The game was fast-paced, and having the opportunity to play on both sides of the ball was incredibly exciting. I was on a mission to be the best midfielder that this game had ever seen.
A chronic lung-disease diagnosis, however, halted those plans and was proving to be a significant roadblock along that journey to greatness.
When I was just five years old, I was diagnosed with Cystic Fibrosis, a genetic disorder that, through several factors, causes significant breathing concerns and reduced lung function.
The older I got, the harder it became for me to compete. In my position as a midfielder, especially as the competition grew more fierce, I was doing a large majority of the running on the field to move the ball in one direction or the other for my team.
Due to my diagnosis, I was experiencing asthma attacks and would often have to be taken out of games due to breathing concerns. My family, coaches, and team of medical doctors at Nationwide Children’s Hospital in Columbus, were all growing increasingly concerned.
While I embodied the same uneasy feeling regarding my health, hanging up my cleats was simply just not an option. Sports were, and always will be, absolutely everything to me.
I could not, for one single second, envision my life without athletics as the central part of it, especially lacrosse.
I had a choice to make.
I could surrender to this chronic illness and give up on my dreams, or I could find another way to compete.