Tonight I got to present two special awards during our annual recognition of Senior Athletes. These were special presentations because these two kids are so extremely special to me. It's crazy to think that just a few years ago, they were freshmen in my World History class and on my wrestling and track teams. Now they are adults, ready to head off to Campbell (Luke) and Western Carolina (Fe).
Luke received the Knight Courage Award. Two years ago, Luke had surgery to fuse vertebrae in his lower back. Contact sports were out. Unfortunately, Luke loved wrestling. He made it his goal to return. Defying doctor's expectations, parental concern and coach's better judgement; Luke returned to wrestling his senior year. Despite a lot of pain, Luke was an amazing leader and earned All-Conference honors. He got the Courage Award because he faced adversity and overcame it. He did things that no one thought he should do and did them courageously in the face of difficulty.
Fe was the Most Valuable Senior Athlete for females. 2 State Championships, 5 school records, great student, wonderful person to coach and I could go on and on. For more on Fe, there is another post on her further down. She's just phenomenal!
These two are truly like my own children. I will miss their presence and leadership; but I have been proud to be a part of their maturing and growth over the past four years.
I meant to blog about this yesterday in my Sunday Observations. Felisha Garren, the NC 2A State Champion in the 400 meters last season kicked off her college career at Western Carolina without missing a beat.
