Haley Hiatt is a true inspiration.

HALEY IS A HERO

While watching the Olympics, I sometimes wonder where the athletes get their inspiration.

I know lots of people look up to athletes as role models. Some athletes do make good role models. Others are downright awful.

Haley Hiatt is an athlete. She's playing volleyball at Pitt Community College. But Haley is so much more than "just" an athlete.

She's been a hero to me ever since I met her in 2008. Haley was a student at Washington High School when she discovered that she had cancer. As the sports editor at the Washington Daily News, I asked Haley if it would be okay to do a story on her battle with cancer. She was more than up for it.

When she walked into the gymnasium on a chilly November day in 2008, she had a stocking cap on her head. But she didn't wear it just for the cold. Haley was bald, one of the many negative aspects of chemotherapy.

I didn't know what to expect out of the interview. Haley seemed shy and quiet at first. But once she opened up, she opened me up to a whole new world.

This 15-year-old was, in a word, amazing. She played volleyball for the Washington Pam Pack. Just wanting to play volleyball again, to get out there with her teammates and friends, helped fuel Haley's desire to get better. To be "normal" again.

There were ups and there were downs, but Haley stood strong through it all. Her faith played a big part in that.

Haley is a role model. To me, and to many others. While she's beautiful enough to be a model herself, she's often behind the camera these days taking pictures of her friends, and of nature. She has an eye for beauty.

If you want to read more about this amazing young lady, here is a link to the story.
http://www.wdnweb.com/2008/11/16/hiatt-spikes-her-cancer/

Haley has overcome a lot in the early years of her life. She's more than willing to share her struggles and triumphs. I believe, and I think she believes, that she was put here for a purpose. I believe great things will happen for Haley, because she truly deserves it.

I've kept up with Haley through the years. She's become a dear friend, and I love her dearly.

Below is a column I wrote about Haley:
http://www.wdnweb.com/2008/11/20/haley-a-true-inspiration/

Haley a true inspiration
(published Nov. 20, 2008 in the Washington Daily News)
When Haley Hiatt walked into the Washington High School gymnasium, my heart skipped a beat.
I had never spoken with Haley and didn’t know exactly what to expect. I was meeting her for the first time, and was there to do a story about her battle with cancer.
After I asked the first question, there was an awkward silence for a minute. It seemed much longer.
Maybe she was nervous. Maybe I was nervous.
I asked her a second question, and she answered immediately. Once we got past that first question, it was off to the races.
I was full of questions, some of which I wasn’t sure I should ask. But Haley was honest. Brutally honest.
The more questions for her, the better. Maybe it was therapeutic for her. Maybe it was therapeutic for me.
I was intrigued by her battle with Hodgkin’s disease. How she got it. When she got it. How she got rid of it.
It wasn’t an easy story for me to do. My father died of cancer and it ripped my heart out.
Talking about cancer isn’t exactly something I wanted to do.
But Haley made everything easy. This girl, all of 15 and without much hair, put me… ME… at ease.
Within minutes she and I were laughing. She had silly jokes and I laughed. I had silly jokes and she laughed.
It was the first time I met Haley, but it seemed like we had known each other for years.
Haley has that kind of endearing personality. You’re drawn to her by her smile. By her laugh. By her humor. By her story.
It’s a great story. A story of perseverance. A story of battling, and beating, cancer.
Haley is a high school student. She is a volleyball player, and a darned good one. She is a basketball player. She is a track athlete. She is a teenager.
But Haley is so much more. So, so much more.
Haley is an inspiration.
Haley has an incredible view on life. Her bout with cancer brought her closer to her family, closer to her friends and closer to God.
Through her ordeals, which included treatments of chemotherapy through a port that is still in her chest, Haley has held her head high and faced each challenge with a brave face.
She said she wants to be a role model for kids.
This girl, this amazing, beautiful, talented, caring and funny girl, is a role model for kids. But she’s also a role model for adults.
That hour I spent with Haley, talking about her cancer, laughing over silly jokes, taking photo after photo around the school, will be one that I will remember for a long time.
When Haley walked out of the Washington High School gymnasium, she took a piece of my heart with her.

SHOUTOUT OF THE DAY:

It goes without saying, this shoutout goes to Haley.
You can see more of Haley on her Facebook page (https://www.facebook.com/#!/haley.e.hiatt) and on Twitter (https://twitter.com/hehiatt)

SONG OF THE DAY
Hero by Mariah Carey.