2 years ago, Michigan State basketball star Adreian Payne was visiting a local hospital and met Lacey Holsworth, a 6-year old battling cancer. While these visits are somewhat common for athletes, the friendship that formed between the two is not. Payne became her role model, essentially adopting her as a little sister and developing a close bond with her. Fast forward 2 years, and their friendship became one of the best feel-good stories of March Madness, with her in attendance for the Michigan State games, even being front row for Payne as he competed in the Collegiate Dunk Contest.
Sadly, Holsworth passed away earlier this morning, and the stories have been spreading like wildfire on the internet. As I read every article I could find on her, I began to reflect on the situation. Before, the news story was all about how a star athlete changed a terminally-ill child's life for the better (and he did - my condolences to Adreian - I hope through the grief he takes comfort in knowing how much of a positive impact he was on her life). However, I think we should realize that the story should also be about what SHE did for Payne, as well as for the rest of us.
We're talking about a child who had a tumor wrapped around her spine, who struggled to walk, who learned that after a brief time of remission that the cancer had returned and her conditions had gotten worse. But looking at dozens of pictures, you will NEVER find one that doesn't involve her smiling, or laughing, or blowing a kiss to the camera. Throughout the entire process, this little girl who had so much outside of her control going against her decided to smile through it all and have fun living life in the process, focusing on what she could control and not letting the grim reality of her situation bring her down.
Lacey isn't an inspiration because she had cancer and found a relationship with an athlete - it was how she handled her cancer and lived her life. Almost every day, I'm in the gym with kids of all levels - from our top 18 year olds to our young kids that are getting their first experience playing volleyball. At every level, I see kids that are more afraid to make a mistake then they are determined to make the play.
As a society, we've glorified the victor, the winners, those that have come up successful at the highest levels of their craft. On the other end, we see writers/sports analysts criticize those that have lost, players that have had a bad game on a big stage, people that in all reality are world-class athletes and have worked just as hard as the winners, but have been on the short end of the fact that when world-class teams/athletes compete, someone is going to lose. The fact that this is what we are judging our pro/collegiate athletes on a 24/7 basis, whether it be on Sportscenter on television or trending on Twitter, has caused a generation of young athletes to be hesitant, to be unsure of their movements, to be uncomfortable; feeling incredible pressure to not be "the loser". They are more afraid to let others down than they are focused to simply do their best - the results make them lose sight of the process.
It is incredibly sad to hear about Lacey no longer being with us - but I hope that her story inspires people, young and old, to live life and GO FOR WHAT THEY WANT, without fear of falling short or losing. Everything they do, I hope they do it without hesitation, without worry about what may go wrong - I hope they do it with passion and excitement about what can go right. Lacey was playing a game where she had such a slim chance to win - but she played hard, had fun in the process, and in the end, touched an unbelievable amount of lives in a positive manner. And that's what makes her story special.
Next time you want to accomplish something and feel the fear of failure, think of Lacey and go for your accomplishment. Next time you're in a situation where on paper things shouldn't go the way you want them to, think of Lacey, and go for it anyways. Next time you see someone that wants something but they are more worried about not succeeding than they are confident that they can do it, think of Lacey, and encourage them to give it everything they have, with no hesitation. Sometimes, we lose sight on how powerful we really can be, but if an 8-year old like Lacey can live they way she did in spite of everything she was going up against, why can't we?
Rest in peace Lacey - you may have only graced the world with your presence for a short time, but the impact you had on the world will be carried on with all those whose lives you touched.
1 comment:
Volleyball brought a special child into our lives too, one of volleyball's biggest fans, who started battling cancer when he should have been in kindergarten.
My friend who is a nurse at a children's hospital said these kids teach you more about life and how to live life than anything else she knows. She's right. Our new friend is the bravest, kindest, happiest person we know, a real superhero.
Thanks for telling us about Lacey, and sharing her story. There is not enough funding or research for childhood cancers, and I hope this changes somehow, soon.
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