Cameron Cox and Channel 12 Sports aired the inspirational story of Puma Softball student-athlete Emily White on March 28.
White, a sophomore at PVCC, was with Puma Softball during the 2019 and 2020 seasons. Due to the COVID shutdown of sports in spring 2020, she was able to return to the field for the 2021 season. But, not before having taken a detour during the off-season.
In May 2020 while on a camping trip with family and friends, White was in a vehicle accident that caused major injury to her left leg. After many difficult surgeries and deliberations, made ever more difficult by COVID limitations in the hospital, White made the decision for herself to have her left foot amputated. White said she had to make the decision for herself, "I had to make the decision of, do I want my foot or do I want my lifestyle."
Since the amputation in June, White has been focused on a comeback. Her comeback wasn't just for her quality of life and all that is sure to be ahead. Her comeback was also for her love of the game, her game, softball. Within two months of amputation, White was walking again. Within four months of amputation, White was running again. She was running toward her future and has not looked back since.
White reached out to Puma Softball head coach Nick Candrea, and subsequently PV Athletics Director Christina Hundley, to talk about wanting to come back to the field, to play. With some hesitation, but full of inspiration, PV Athletics pursued every avenue necessary to create the opportunity for White to return.
In February, White returned to Puma Softball practice with the rest of her team for the first time since the COVID shutdown, and for the first time since her accident.
On March 2, White suited up in the navy & white for her third season with Puma softball. Despite some opening day jitters, White took the field and once again played the game she loves. After the game White said, "It was really good to be back on the field with my teammates."
It is believed that White is the first intercollegiate softball student-athlete to compete with a prosthetic.
White truly knows how lucky she is. Lucky to play the sport she loves. Lucky to be alive. That said, not all days are easy. "There are days where it is very hard to have motivation to get up," said White. Her family, her friends, and her team keep her going and keep her up. As for Puma Nation and beyond, White serves as the type of inspiration that can get anyone up and going.
Tune in HERE to see Cameron Cox's story on Emily White.
