Adidas Honors Local Women For Mother's Day
Mother and daughter team Kay and Gracie Lachowecki, members of Holy Rosary Catholic Parish in Evansville, received some very special attention from Adidas Women and Nice Kicks, a website designed to promote the latest in high-fashion sneakers. In honor of Mother’s Day, the two companies partnered to recognize the perseverance shown by this special duo in the face of adversity.
Gracie, a Reitz Memorial High School graduate and soccer player for the University of Miami in Florida, shares in an interview with photojournalist Ray P. how important her relationship with her mother has been to her throughout her athletic career, leading to one of her most special soccer matches.
“The one that ... sticks out the most is the Breast Cancer Awareness game,” Gracie recalled. “I’ve played in the Breast Cancer Awareness game before, but never knew someone with the condition until Mom was diagnosed almost three years ago. We were down two goals and I just knew the day wouldn’t be special if we lost.”
Gracie scored two straight goals in the second half to put the game into overtime. She ended the tie 30 seconds into overtime with her third goal.
“After that third goal, I just remembered thinking, ‘Did that really just happen?’” Gracie said.
Her teammates knew the game was important as Gracie was dealing with her mom’s breast cancer.
“When I first found out, I was shocked because you never think it would happen to you,” Kay told Ray P. “Then I met with the doctor and told him that it isn’t really a good time for me to have this because both my kids play Soccer and we have trips planned!” (Gracie’s older brother, Max, was playing soccer for the University of Notre Dame at the time.)
“My Doctor said, ‘You seem like a lady who just wants to get over this, so you can continue living your life.’ And he was right; that’s totally me.”
Kay underwent a specialized treatment plan that allowed her to miss only one of her children’s games. She celebrated beating cancer by taking a tour of her favorite spots with her friends – one of which was, of course, a soccer field.
Adidas sponsored a surprise Mother’s Day trip for the Lachoweckis. Gracie was given an opportunity to show her mother how much she is loved by sharing with her an all-expenses-paid trip to Chicago packed with shopping sprees, tickets to Hamilton and dinners at the trendiest restaurants in the city.
Adidas Women also created the Marian Kay Lachowecki Scholarship Fund to honor her courage in the fight against Breast Cancer. Two students in the School of Nursing and Health Studies at the University of Miami who demonstrate financial need will each be awarded $5,000 to help cover the cost of their tuition.
As a final surprise, customized Ultra Boost Adidas sneakers were given to the Lachoweckis. The author of the article noted, “I can’t think of anyone who’s more deserving.”
Special thanks to Ray P., photojournalist for Nice Kicks, for allowing us to use his interview and photos in The Message. To learn more about this story, please visit http://www.nicekicks.com/gracie-kay-lachowecki-mothers-day-story-perseverance-adversity-adidas-women/.
