There’s a reason Rachel Vander Kolk wears number eleven for the University of Virginia Cavaliers.
Sometimes you forget why you play. All it takes is that simple reminder, I’m doing this for more than me.
– Rachel Vander Kolk, University of Virginia women’s lacrosse goalie
On May 10, 2012, the night before Rachel and her lacrosse team were set to begin their playoff run, Tracy Vander Kolk (Rachel’s sister and teammate) took her own life.
“She is still with me every day. That’s kind of how I choose to live and how I do everything. My new experiences are things she gets to experience too. It’s one of the things about suicide is you don’t always know what is going to happen and that night it just took as a shock,” she said.
“They postponed the game for us. That immediate moment gave us time to kind of relax a second and mourn the loss of my twin sister. Eventually, the game had to be played. Our initial thoughts with our coach were that I was just going to go and be with my team and not exactly play. But, she had me suit up and warm up and put me in the game. I had one of the best games of my life. Sometimes I think they like to say I played for two that day,” she said.
Just 15 days after Tracy’s death Rachel Vander Kolk led her team to a state title.
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If you or someone you know is struggling with depression or suicide please seek help from loved ones or call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-8255.
