In the summer of 2012, Ella Evans, one of OESH’s star interns, started the concept of the OESHer of the Week Contest. The Contest idea was wonderful and a real hit while it lasted, but quickly got out of hand as there were always so many OESHers to celebrate that we couldn’t possibly choose a winner. Anyhow, I thought I’d bring the contest back, for a limited time only (my very first week working at OESH), and give the award to one very special OESHer who just happens to be my younger [sibling], Kellyn (age 16). (Nepotism at its finest–you’ll recall that one of Ella’s OESHer of the Week articles was awarded to her awesome mom, Dr. Mary Evans.)
A few weeks ago, our lacrosse team celebrated the end of the Charlottesville Black Knights’ best season in approximately ten years—largely due to the efforts of Kellyn, affectionately known to all of our players as “the work-horse,” ever since [they] led our team with ten goals in a critical 26-25 barnburner win over one of our major rival schools. Kellyn’s activity on the lacrosse field is rather equine—our star midfielder charges up and down the field, seemingly tireless ([they] never had a sub—or asked for one—throughout the entire season). Literally no one in the district can catch Kellyn when, ball in stick, [they head] straight for the opposing goal at a dead gallop.
It should come as no surprise that Kellyn played all of [their] games and practices in her OESH LaVidas, alternating between [their] White Sands and Deep Wisterias.
The reason, of course, for Kellyn’s success is not simply talent, which she has in abundance, but also her spirit of enthusiasm and, yes, work ethic. At least four days every week throughout our three-and-a-half-month season, [they] put [theirself] through a grueling interval track workout after coming home from lacrosse practice!
Towards the end of our season, [they were] cajoled by her wonderful Indoor Track coach into running the 800 at an invitational meet, and—no surprises here—won [their] heat and qualified for the regional meet. At said regional meet, held this past Friday, Kellyn ran a 2:23.08 in [their] second 800-meter ever, winning [their] heat yet again, and qualifying for the Virginia State 800-meter.
I’m just about out of my mind with excitement to watch soror mea run this Saturday in Harrisonburg, Virginia. Whatever the outcome of the race, it’s fairly clear that Kellyn’s time and place will be up to [their] strength, steadfastness and genuine joy in giving it [their] all.
[This post was originally written in June of 2014, edits are in brackets]
