With A Teammate Stricken By Cancer, This High School Girls’ Team Does Something Unforgettable

One high school cross country team in New York created an inspiring example of what high school girl athletes are capable of, far beyond athletic competition.

On Monday, the members of the Shenendehowa High School cross country team helped their teammate Yeva Klingbeil, a senior who was stricken with rhabdomyosarcoma, a cancer that affects muscle tissue generally in teenagers, in November 2019, cross the finish line, as they cheered wildly and even runners from other schools joined in the celebration, as People Magazine reported.

Shenendehowa High School’s athletic department tweeted the video of the moment, adding, “What a great moment to see Senior Yeva Klingbeil at today’s girls track & field meet. Yeva’s teammates help her across the line in the 4X1 relay. Yeva continues her fight with cancer and we continue to be amazed by her spirit!!”

What a great moment to see Senior Yeva Klingbeil at today’s girls track & field meet. Yeva’s teammates help her across the line in the 4X1 relay. Yeva continues her fight with cancer and we continue to be amazed by her spirit!! @CoachCloutier @ShenNews @Agostinoni_Ron pic.twitter.com/pMs35dYLgY

— ShenAthletics (@ShenAthletics) May 25, 2021

A Pledge It fundraising page for Klingbeil stated that her chemotherapy in 2019 was triggered by a cancerous mass around her jaw. The radiation treatments which followed damaged her brainstem, but People noted, “After weeks in the ICU and work with several specialists, she’s regained some of her function, and the tumor has shrunk to half of its original size.” The Daily Gazette reported last October that Yeva had to use a feeding tube for food and a ventilator at night.

Rob Cloutier, Yeva’s coach, wrote, “Yeva and her family pray her brain will continue healing and she’ll be able to breathe, walk, and eat once again. While Yeva has gone through all of this and more, she has never stopped caring about her friends and family and has never given up hope of recovery.”

He added, “Kids have talked about Yeva’s impact and just how her attitude about the whole deal is an example of being a hero. So … pretty cool. She’s really a special kid, in that she’s always had such a great attitude about everything. She’s gained strength, she’s able to walk. I challenged her a little bit. I wanted to finish this marathon with her, whatever that would look like. Even if it’s the last few steps.”

Cloutier concluded, “I’ve got a great senior class, and Yeva’s a part of that. They’ve really come together and rallied around this, but used it as an opportunity to be grateful for everything you have and an opportunity to be a part of something, right? That’s kind of the idea behind this. It’s a simple thing. However you want to jump in, you want to get involved, you want to donate … it’s up to you. But here’s an opportunity. It’s been special. Obviously, we’re living through a period of time where I think a lot of people struggle with hope, and things to look forward to. I’ve seen this, in some ways, become that, especially for me and hopefully the Klingbeil family and the kids.”