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Mitch Rupert on wrestling: Ward knows his story can provide inspiration

HERSHEY — As he warmed up Thursday morning with teammate and cousin Hayden Ward, Timmy Ward’s attention was caught from the stands at the Giant Center. The fan had a gift for the Canton junior.

Having seen his story of persevering through treatments for Hodgkin’s Lymphoma in the past 15 months, Angelina Shilcosky asked her son Isaiah to deliver a teal T-shit to Ward when he attended the PIAA Wrestling Championships.

Angelina is a campaign manager for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society and the shirt she and Isaiah presented to Ward was a “Light the Night Survior” shirt. Light the Night is a campaign which raises funds which go toward the research for cures for leukemia, lymphoma, Hodgkin’s disease and myeloma.

Angelina wanted Ward to have a T-shirt as a cancer survivor whose story has gained some added notoriety since he qualified for the state tournament. So Ward accepted the shirt, posed for a photo with Isaiah, and proudly wore it Friday night as he walked onto the Giant Center floor for one of his consolation matches. An arena full of fans got to see the word “Survivor” scrawled across his broad shoulders as he walked from the Zamboni entrance to his spot on Mat 1 some 200 feet away.

As much as Ward hates being the center of attention, he understands his story has an opportunity to provide inspiration to others who faces challenges in their life of any capacity. By wearing that T-shirt, Ward showed his pride in what he’s overcome.

“Having that on my back is a reminder to stay positive and stay strong because you’ve been through some crap, and it’s a reminder of that,” Ward said. “It meant the world to me to have someone like him come up to me, even if he didn’t know me, and give me some words of encouragement.”

Timmy Ward finished sixth in the state in Class AA at 170 pounds when he dropped a 3-0 decision to Southern Columbia’s Cade Linn on Saturday. But the reality is what place he finished was of zero relevance. Just competing again is a reward.

To Ward, his finish did matter, so long as it was anywhere on the podium. He often succintly discusses his cancer diagnosis, treatment and curing as “a long year.” Those three words encompass a lot of change which as occurred in his life. Stepping on the podium was more symbolic than anything. It proved to himself he can overcome the toughest curveballs life has to throw. It showed he can work hard enough to restore his body to the peak phsyical condition it was in before tumors invaded his chest. And it proved he has the ability to be even better as an athlete than what he showcased for three days in Hershey.

“This feels amazing,” Ward said. “My family is here. My friends are here. My coaches and teammates are here. It’s a great feeling. I worked hard all year just to get here. All my partners in the room busted their butts to help me. It’s a good cap to the year to come here and get a medal.”

Ward looks forward to the day where people can once again just talk about the kind of athlete he is and no longers have to mention his battle with, and victory over, cancer. He’s also wise enough to understand it’s what makes him so unique. It’s also what’s given him a platform to encourage others dealing with any type of challenges in their life.

And with the PIAA tournament broadcast nationally on FloWrestling, his story was seen by many people who may have never seen it otherwise, like the Shilcoskys. Ward spent the entire tournament keeping in contact with Isaiah. After a win, Isaiah would be there to say good job.

Ward got to share his story for three days with the world of wrestling because of how he performed in Hershey. He won four consecutive consolation matches to guarantee himself a Top-6 finish. Who he lost to and when he lost were irrelevant because he was a winner coming into the arena to share his story and offer inspiration.

“This tournament is so hard to begin with, and him coming in here and wrestling that well with everything he’s been through is nothing short of amazing,” Linn said. “I knew he’d do well here. He got through cancer, so I knew he could battle and get a state medal.”

Mitch Rupert covers wrestling for the Sun-Gazette. He can be reached at 326-1551, ext. 3129, or by email at mrupert@sungazette.com. Follow him on Twitter at @Mitch_Rupert.

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