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http://www.omniture.com --> Oregon Road Conditions & Cams Advertisement Email Story to a Friend May 20, 2006 One for the team By buffy pollock for the Mail Tribune As South Medford senior and equestrian team member Kayla Kraft helped prepare both two- and four-legged friends for the Oregon High School Equestrian Teams State Championships, hope for her team's success was tinged with sadness. The 18-year-old has competed at state before and had dreamed of finishing her senior year with a final gold medal. But a diagnosis of cancer last August found Kayla making some tough decisions. When her world went from "all about horses" to chemotherapy and radiation treatments, Kayla opted for an alternate position. "Two weeks before senior year I was told I had cancer," said Kayla, daughter of Ron Kraft of Medford and Lori Reeves of Yreka. "I'm sitting there going through my whole summer thinking, 'one year left,' then I get hit with this — Hodgkin's lymphoma. It was pretty scary." All the things she'd looked forward to during her senior year were no longer guaranteed, including competing with her equestrian team. "I'd done the drill team my sophomore and junior year, was an alternate my freshman year. This year I wanted to do it so bad, but our team has taken gold in the past four or five years and I didn't want to jeopardize any of that because of my treatments," she said. For four months, chemotherapy treatments left her nauseous and exhausted. Radiation followed. But through it all, Kayla somehow managed to drag herself to equestrian team practice. South Medford equestrian team coach Sue Chenault said Kayla is an inspiration to her fellow athletes. "Most people, it's 'Why me,' and they hide in their bedroom and don't want to come out," Chenault said. "But she never missed one single practice. She lost her hair, went through everything that happens and still came out and supported her team. She wasn't going to let it get her down." Kayla, who is recovering, shrugged off the notion that she should have done anything other than show up for practice. "I had to help them get ready for meets, saddle up, practice. I was involved as much as I could be," Kayla said. On days that were tough, Kayla said team members offered much needed support. "I couldn't have kept going without them," she said. Or without her beloved quarter horses Speedy and Sam. "They're like my family members. When I was feeling really under the weather, I'd go down there to just be with them and they made me feel better," she said. Team members held fundraisers to help the family with staggering medical costs, including a rose sale for Valentine's Day and a bracelet sale featuring Kayla's favorite color, purple. Friend and teammate Jessie Caldwell said members tried to return a small amount of the moral support provided by their friend. "Just like the rest of the team, she's been there for every practice," Jessie said. "Even when she wasn't riding, she was someone everyone could go and talk to. "She cares about everyone on the team a lot. She really wanted us to do our best, so much that she put the team above herself. She's probably the best member on the team because of that." Whether or not Kayla is needed to compete Sunday morning, her commitment to and inspiration for her team were victories themselves, said her coach. "She would've qualified, I'm sure, had she not chose to not be on the drill team. That's another aspect of her looking out for her team instead of for herself," Chenault said. "That's what being a team member is about and she's a 110 percent team player. That's just Kayla." Advertisement s Mail Tribune Home | Local News | Sports | Business | Obituaries | Life | Opinion AP News | Archives | Site Map | Community | Classified Copyright © 1997-2006 Mail Tribune, Inc. All rights reserved. Privacy Policy | Terms & Conditions | Website Feedback www.bingo.com Home Security Systems Trunks, Footlocker Custom Build Computers Discount Hotel Reservations online casinos news Ashley Furniture HomeStore Send Flowers Southern Oregon Loans California Casinos GMAT Prep Windermere Van Vleet Sports Equipment Online Casino Reviews Online Bingo Entertainment Guide Online Casino Fundraisers Sudoku Online Casinos Canada Online Pharmacy