Last weekend the varsity synchronized skating teams at Adrian College participated in Relay for Life. Being surrounded by hundreds of people affected by cancer was an experience like no other. After a long week of classes, most college students look forward to a hopefully relaxing weekend. Exhausted before the Relay even started, staying up for nineteen more hours seemed daunting. However, as a young adult whose heart was broken close to seven years ago by losing the greatest uncle a girl could ask for to cancer, walking to help end the fight against cancer was much more important than sleep.
The Relay started out great. It was a time to bond with teammates, enjoy the weather, and reminisce on high school memories that the concurring high school football game brought upon us. About five hours into the relay, the Luminaria Ceremony took place. The stadium lights were turned off. Participants were left in the darkness with the only light available coming from the luminaria surrounding the track that were dedicated to the lives cancer has claimed thus far. The atmosphere amongst us changed. As the names of hundreds that have gone before us were read, many tears were shed. It was arguably the most emotional aspect of the Relay. After all, when is it ever easy to think about those whose lives were taken too soon?
As tears slid down my cheeks, something magical happened – a sense of family revealed itself. We all became each other’s rock to lean on. Being there with my team where everyone was there for each other to hug and cry on is an experience I will never forget. A strong sense of community was present not only within my team, but also throughout all of the participants in Relay For Life. For those nineteen hours, we were all one, connected through our aspirations to end cancer.
As the night continued, this sense of community became a necessity. Almost everyone eventually reached a point where it was painful to walk and they wanted nothing more than sleep and blockage from the bitter weather. With encouragement from each other, however, we persevered, ending the relay as the team with the most laps completed.
The opportunity my coaches provided my team and I with is a memory that I will always hold close to my heart. During those nineteen hours, I learned more about what it means to be a team than I did during the nine years I spent on various athletic teams while growing up.
Being a team means more than working together to achieve the common goal of winning a match. Being a team means becoming a family. By doing so, each member must genuinely care for each other through the ups and the downs, ultimately helping one another “win” at life. In other words, being a team means pushing each other to be their absolute best not only on the ice, but also off the ice where making a difference really matters.
I will forever be thankful for this opportunity and would do it all over again in a heartbeat.
