JULY 20, 2021: RISE & SHINE FROM FUKUSHIMA!
We are ONE DAY AWAY PEOPLE! Can you believe it? It has been a long 13 years since softball was played in an Olympics. I have teammates who have been playing since 2008 waiting for another chance to play, inspiring right? The sport of softball is so darn special and my biggest hope is that the world can see how great this game is. If you haven’t had a chance to play yet, I HIGHLY recommend. The memories, laughs and especially the life-long friends I have made playing this sport is a huge reason why I will continue to play!
As I walked back to my hotel room after breakfast and COVID testing I had a couple thoughts. My first being one FINAL sleep. Tomorrow, we wake up and get to play softball in the OLYMPICS. My second thought was how much I’ll miss seeing my family in the stands. When they announced no foreign fans it was a dagger to the heart. But deep down I know if I close my eyes and look out to the outfield stands I can see all their smiling faces, cheering me on. A quick shutout to my family and my husband who will be watching from Tucson, I love you guys and I’ll see you soon with some new hardware!
CLICK HERE TO READ KELSEY’S DIARIES AND OTHER STORIES RELATED TO SOUTHERN ARIZONANS IN THE TOKYO OLYMPICS
After a restful afternoon we headed out for our FINAL practice. Although it is not my final practice of softball it is with this squad, and that definitely pulls on some heart strings. There is a lot of love in this group and one of the best if not the best teams I will ever be a part of! At the end of practice some people had some interviews. They love a good interview with Lauren Regula & I. The oldest and youngest player on the team (39 & 24). Almost 40 years old, so crazy! I can’t imagine doing this for another 16 years but hey you never know!
We got back to the hotel, showered and ate one final meal before the big day. As I lay down and close my eyes tonight, tomorrow I open them and will FINALLY… OFFICIALLY… call myself an Olympian!
Until next time, Tucson! And always remember, GO CANADA!!!
Kelsey Harshman (Jenkins) was a standout softball and soccer player at Sabino before she went on to star for Wisconsin where she earned multiple recognitions:
Three-time Academic All-Big Ten (2016, 2017, 2018)
First three-time first-team All-Big Ten selection in program history
2017 All-Big Ten Defensive Team
NCAA Tournament All-Region Team
NFCA Great Lake All-Region second team (2017, 2018)
First freshman in UW history to be named First-team All-Big Ten (2015)
2016 Best Offense Award (UW Coaches)
2015 Canadian Junior Women’s National Team
Besides multiple appearance for Canada, Harshman also played for the Canadian Wild of the NPF and she was part of Athletes Unlimited.
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