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Boosting Spirits

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Faces and hearts shine as USA Synchro National team visits Children’s Hospital in Colorado Springs

Ten year old Emily is a dancer. Six year old Nathan is a soccer player. Both dream of achieving greatness in their sport, including the Olympics, but for right now those dreams are temporarily on hold. Emily and Nathan are undergoing cancer treatment at Children’s Hospital of Colorado Springs.

Cancer has become a familiar topic in daily life. It touches everyone in one way or another as one in three people will face the diagnosis of cancer. And for more than 15,000 kids, and their families, this statistic became a reality in 2018. Children’s Hospital is one of the many places kids find treatment for this terrible disease.

On Thursday afternoon, following an early morning practice, the National Team and USA Synchro staff headed over to meet the kids at Children’s Hospital. After a brief tour of the facility and learning about some of the treatment programs at Children’s, the team set out.

The athletes boosted spirits by talking and sharing laughs - discussing anything from their favorite color to sports and hobbies to dreams for the future. The team brought along a few Olympic and Championship medals to share, maybe inspiring some new dreams. Other athletes played games or made crafts alongside their new friends. The hit craft of the day: design your own Olympic medal. Colorful paper, ribbon, glitter and more brought to life Olympic medals for activities not yet recognized on the Olympics or World Championship stages.

“The kids here are so inspiring. They have been through so much already, but stay so positive,” said National Team member Olivia Smith. “I loved hearing their stories and their dreams as if having cancer is not a big deal and will not impact their future goals.”

“September is Pediatric Cancer Awareness month and is represented by the color gold. I could not think of a more perfect opportunity to spread awareness and share experiences between the children and a team striving for gold themselves,” Director of Cancer Services, Nancy Lee reflected on the day’s visit.

Even after the final treatment bell is rung, the fight is still far from over. The USA Synchro National Team continues to fight toward the Olympic podium. As for patients and staff at Children’s Hospital, they continue to fight for a cure now and in the future.