USA field hockey player Karlie Kisha
One month before the United States Olympic Field Hockey team was announced, Karlie (Heistand) Kisha was diagnosed with thyroid cancer. "Scary, still trying to process all that. A month before you think all of your goals, all of your dreams, are about to come true, it could be taken away from you. I consider myself very fortunate," she told SV Sports' Paul Roberts. Kisha had her thyroid and twenty lymph nodes removed on May 17th. Amazingly, the Hamburg High School and UConn graduate was back on the field just two weeks after surgery. On June 11th, she was one of 16 women named to the Olympic squad. "It still blows my mind...It's amazing. It's very fulfilling. It just makes those sacrifices, the highs and lows, that much sweeter," said Kisha. She was one of nine players from Pennsylvania, including five from Berks County, that were selected to compete in Paris this summer. "We're just lucky that we live in a county where it's really flourished...We played against each other in high school and now we're teammates. It's really cool to be from Berks County," replied Kisha. Former Twin Valley standouts Ashley Hoffman and Kelee Lepage were part of Team USA, along with Oley Valley and Penn State star Phia Gladieux. Meredith Sholder, who played at Emmaus High School, is from Fleetwood. She scored the lone goal in a 1-0 victory over South Africa. The United States, which had a very young roster, went (1-3-1) in Pool B which included Australia, Argentina, Spain, and Great Britain. Kisha returned to Hamburg on Tuesday and spoke to high school students about making academics a priority. "I think it's super important to not only pursue academics, but to strive in them," she emphasized. Kisha, a chemistry major, maintained a 3.6 GPA while helping UConn win two national championships. She also discussed the importance of being a multi-sport athlete. Kisha was a state medalist for the Hawks in track and cross country. In addition, she earned a medal at the District 3 swimming championships. "Play as many sports as you can. One, it's so fun. Two, it's so rewarding," she stated. The 28-year-old is an assistant field hockey coach at Villanova. Does she expect to participate in the 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles? "I don't know yet. See if my body lets me," Kisha said with a smile.