The 11 Day Power Play means more to me than words may be able to describe, but here goes nothing. Sitting down and writing a blog post is almost ironic because a good friend of mine, and one of the key people I play for, would use blog posts as a way to describe and share her journey through cancer. It was incredible to read and gain more understanding of how she felt through the ups and downs and to see her constant resilience. It made me feel connected when I wasn’t close and gave me a reason every day to follow her words and experience everything life offers. I can only hope that this post comes close to describing the impact of The 11 Day Power Play on me, as well as provides a glimpse of those who inspire me to lace up the skates every year.
One of the people highlighted in the video featuring my story is my good friend, Sabrina. She was also the blog pro. But, other than knowing her way around crafty words and a computer, Sabrina was also intentional about filling every corner of life with incredible experiences. Even before her diagnosis, Sabrina traveled every opportunity she had; she walked the ground all around the world and left her mark on music in places near and far. In 2017, Sabrina had kicked cancer. I traveled with her and her sister (my best friend) to California to visit a friend of ours from college. California didn’t know what it was in for. We hiked desert trails, made new friends watching the Super Bowl, mimicked sea lions without shame, and enjoyed sunsets you’d compare to a painting. That trip still holds some of my favorite moments and laughs that will put me right back on the beach enjoying tacos. Sadly, shortly after that trip, the cancer returned and couldn’t be tackled. Sabrina fought, but the disease took her far too soon in 2019 at the age of 30. Through this stretch, Sabrina did a lot of blog writing, highlighting her faith-forward attitude, positive energy, and desire to give to others, even while cancer was taking everything from her. A quote that struck me most and summed up her writing best was, “Don’t be afraid of death. Be afraid of the unlived life.” The way Sabrina lived her life with this mindset is inspirational. In some ways, I feel her life and how she lived it are what brought me to hockey. Hockey was new to me in 2019, and without a second thought, I bought all the equipment and learned how to play. I want to live every bit of the life I have, so sitting out isn’t an option. I also place a cancer ribbon sticker on my helmet as another reminder to live and embrace life. I want to thank Sabrina and her family for skating with me every time I hit the ice.
I also play in honor of my mom, Lisa. My mom was diagnosed with cancer in 2021 and has been fighting like the Wonder Woman she is. She continues her fight today and has been nothing short of an inspiration. I can’t say enough about the woman who has been the captain of my support team all of my life. What I can describe about my mom is a person who brings gifts to the nurses she works with for treatment and a person who keeps nonperishable food and extra clothes in her car just in case she comes across someone who needs help. There isn’t a person (or pet) she doesn’t consider a friend. My mom is a strong woman who models the mentality of faith over fear and has the determination to not just beat cancer, but to destroy it. It seems her personal mission now, not only for herself but for everyone, is to eliminate cancer entirely. She also supports the Ride for Roswell and captains our team, “Faith Conquers All.” Her team grows every year. If you ride and come upon a team of bright yellow shirts, give us a wave. Feel free to join us in pedaling towards a cure! With her leading the charge against cancer, my mom is leaving no corner of the world untouched. She has seen much of the United States. She hits the hiking trails in the woods for walks every weekend with me and our dogs, Rocky and Benny, and has left her footprints all over Italy and Spain during a recent family European vacation! It’s incredible watching my mom live her life so intentionally, seeing her determined to experience everything she’s dreamed of doing for quite some time. It’s inspiring to me and encourages me to follow her example and take hold of everything life has to offer. As my number one supporter and great friend, my mom is someone I am so proud of. Through her, I’ve now found my mission to do something special and support her in the pursuit of seeing the end of cancer everywhere.
While both my mom and Sabrina are who I play most prominently for, there are also many other family and friends that I skate with, both in memory and in support of. Playing three hours of continuous hockey is TOUGH, but it’s a small glimpse into the cancer battle: the struggle to keep going, the determination to never stop, and the constant support from your team and fans. Knowing what those I love are fighting makes the fatigue a little less, and the motivation to continue a whole lot more. Cancer needs to end. It has no place here. I applaud The 11 Day Power Play and its unique ability to bring people together to serve the community through hockey, to help each other, and continually inspire through the stories behind each skater. It’s my mission to not only put cancer on ice but freeze it out completely. Thank you to those who skate beside me in this mission. Thank you to The 11 Day Power Play for this event. And most importantly, thank you to my mom, to Sabrina, and to all those showing us that life (no matter how long) is meant to be lived to its absolute fullest. Only fear an unlived life.
Love you all! Puck Cancer, Play Hockey!
Thank you also to anyone who made it to the end of this long post. Your support is incredible.
If you find yourself relating to any of this message and wish to donate to my player page or our Swedish Fish team page, please use this link to access my player page: https://communityshift.11daypowerplay.com/Member/MyPage/7672704/Ashley-Popp
Watch Ashley’s video- https://www.facebook.com/share/v/1EJpPuu8dm/
