How I got here

To say I was a sports fan growing up would be an understatement. One of my favorite ways to connect with that world was the sports page of the newspaper . I dreamed of my name appearing on that page and covering the biggest events and star athletes, perhaps even for Sports Illustrated or ESPN … until I wrote this story. To get an e-mail from a father moved to tears and to hear about a family so proud they framed one my stories felt so much more meaningful than any other level notoriety I could possibly achieve.

I knew then my path had changed, though I was a lot less certain where it would take me. I knew I no longer wanted to be just another story-teller or reporter; I wanted to be an advocate and I wanted to help people. I wanted to play an actual role in improving people’s lives.

It took a few years, a few job changes, one fateful conversation with a friend, and a pandemic to clear that path.