One of the most inspiring stories of the year was watching Leah Still fight cancer and beat it up, something the ESPYs took time to honor.
The world of sports isn’t always about what the final score at the end of the game is — sometimes it’s about so much more than that. We discovered that again and again this past year as cancer dug in deeper and deeper into our lives by taking so much away. Stuart Scott was taken away in January and Lauren Hill died three months ago after battling cancer.
When Cincinnati Bengals linebacker Devon Still revealed that his little daughter was battling cancer, we though it was going to be the crushing blow that broke us all. The world wept for this little girl — but she didn’t wear for herself. Leah Still never gave up on her fight against cancer and she ended up winning.
She beat up cancer and wouldn’t let it consume her life. Her father was a pipeline into her fight, but the battle against her disease was all Leah.
Leah Still has inspired the world and there are few things as powerful as that. The world gave up on hope, but Leah Still quietly restored that, and it reminded us of what is truly important in life. Listening to Devon Still talk about the effect of Leah’s fight on his life is touching, inspiring and is proof that there is still something to believe in with humanity.
There are special sports stories that touch us all, but few will touch us as deeply or passionately as the story of Leah Still.
You can watch the touching tribute here.