Milana Atencio


Our Journalist - Miss Alex Avram	Alex's Athlete Of The Month
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From Colorado
Arvada Senior High School
Senior Varsity Soccer Captain
Milana Atencio

Thank you, Milana, for sharing your story with us and being willing to share it with our readers, Your Mother
greatly inspired you and you, in turn, are inspiring others.

1. You were 13 years old when your Mother was sick. Was that 7th grade? Did you play soccer?

Yes and yes. I have played soccer since I was five. I played throughout the course of my mother's illness.

The first year after my mom passed I didn't play soccer. This was my freshman year and I decided to not tryout. Looking back it was obviously a big mistake however to this day I've learned much from my mistakes. I am a returning captain for our varsity team now and I imagine my mom watching every game. It's been a great outlet for build up emotions and an even better way to express myself.

3. Were your Coaches or teammates especially helpful to you during the loss of your Mother and if so, how?

I missed a few weeks of practice and games, which was understandable. However while I was gone the coaches and girls sent a huge card expressing how sorry they all were and how much they missed me. All of the team signed it and wrote a message. It truly showed to me that bonds are built within teams and it’s more than just winning.

This is such a tough question. My mom influenced every aspect of my life. She is the true reason I play soccer, the reason I dedicate my time to this single sport. Though she isn’t there to watch me in person I can feel her in my heart. She taught me to be strong and never settle.. She taught me to be independent, and that family is the most important thing you can have. Though life may throw me curve balls I have to always stay in the game.

My Mother was an athlete. She played softball in high school and was extremely athletic. She was the one who got me involved in sports at a very young age, which I am very grateful for today. She was more than supportive, her and my dad attended every game rain or shine. They would be bundled up even if it was snowing. My mom was definitely my number one fan.

6. When did you first become involved in sports and have you played any sport besides soccer?

I played soccer at age five through my local rec center, and have played since then. I also played basketball in elementary, middle, and for my first two years of high school.

I plan on hopefully playing for the school I attend in college, or if not I will play for one of the club teams the school has.

Like I said above it would be my dream to play in college. This year when I decide where I am going to go to college I will get in contact with coaches for them to see me play, or tryout for the team. I can’t imagine my life without soccer.

Soccer in my personal opinion is one of the most skill demanding sports. The position I play, forward requires much skill with dribbling and shooting. Also, you must be top shape to outrun other competitors. It differs from other sports because it takes time to develop these skills, and much endurance too.

10. Are you religious and does it play any role in helping you with all you have been through?

Yes, my family is Catholic. My dad is really strong in his faith, which really helped us through losing my mom. It is relieving to know that she is in a better place and know that I can always find comfort faith.

11. Is there anything else you would like share with our reading audience about what you have experienced?

This whole experience has made me discover who I am. It was the toughest thing I have ever been through, my mom and I were closer than anyone else in my life. I remember saying “What I am going to do? I can’t do this, and I can’t.” But it did, I made it out.. It’s been four years since I’ve seen or talked to my mom. I still remember her laugh, her smell, her whistle, her hands, and her witty sense of humor. I think of her daily but I’ve learn to live my life without her. She will always have a place in my heart but I want to find happiness and success for both of us. Because I have experienced this great loss at such a young age I have become more mature and sympathetic to the great problems in life. The experience of my mother suffering with cancer changed me as a person. Not only was it traumatizing but it showed me the truth that life is too short.

12. What advice would you give a young athlete out there who has or is losing a parent to cancer with regards to how they can keep going, continue with their sport and be a positive role model to their teammates?

Last season I was chosen to be one of the three captains for my high school team. This was not only a great honor but much responsibility. My mom would be so proud of me was my initial thought. My goal was to inspire my teammates with my story. I don’t want to lie to the young athletes who are in the same situation as I was once in. It’s not easy, losing a parent. It is an experience that will change you forever, it’s not going to be a slice of cake. It’s been the greatest battle I’ve ever experienced. Its cliché, but the saying “time can heal all things” is very true. Never give up on your dreams, and always fight for what makes you happy.

~Below is a college Essay written by Milana which inspired us to ask her to be our next Athlete Of The Month~

When you lose a person it is almost as if you lose a part of yourself. I woke up with tear filled eyes and glanced over to my alarm clock. It read 3:35 AM. And as I comprehended it all, I realized it was just a dream. As I relived the times of baking cookies with my mommy, I could smell the molasses in the air. I could hear her laugh as I would give up stirring. My little arms were exhausted after one pan. I could touch her wooden roller in my hands; I could feel her tie the two sizes too big apron around my petite, unshapely body and hug me so tight I would let out a squeal. Streams rolled down my face as I lay in the dark and repeated, “It was just a dream.” I was still a young girl when this earthquake came down, barley heading into my teens. Although I lost her at a very early age, she is still with me today.

After eleven months of watching my strong, beautiful mother deteriorate into a skeleton, I felt completely lost. Week after week of chemotherapy and radiation went by but nothing seemed to get better. My father stuck by her, waking up at all hours of the night to give her pain killers and to put her mind at ease. She began to lose her appetite and her body became more and more fragile. I could sometimes see it in her eyes that although she had never quit, it was time. She was never a weak woman; I never saw one ounce of weakness in those stern brown eyes. “There’s nothing else we can do,” my brother repeated over and over again. “The doctors have tried everything they can.” I looked the doctor right the eye and found rage within myself. He showed no remorse, no sympathy, or any sort of emotion. I was thirteen and enforced my idea that they hadn’t tried everything. “It is physically impossible!” I begged them to have hope. Although no one listened, this astonishing news brought me to the point where I am at now. I couldn’t make the change I wanted to see that day; however it was one of the most influential deciding factors of what I would do with my life. In my heart and with all of my soul, I believe sympathy and compassion can change the world. One of my biggest goals in life is to become a successful nurse. I do not use the word successful to describe the amount of money I will be making, but more to describe the changes I will make in my patient’s lives. My purpose as a nurse is not only to inspire those in need to become physically well, but also to show them that I genuinely care about their well being.

Time heals everything they say. Although this statement may be true, there will always be a scar to remember. Although the wound is no longer there, there will be that aspect of pain when I think of my mother’s memory. Although I will never regain the part of myself that was lost, I learned that in time I found my independence and began to move on. I think of her laugh and her perseverance on a daily basis. I know that I must live on in her memory and succeed not only for myself, but for her.

A special visit to the White House July 2008 Alex and her Mom and brother in the Rose Garden outside the Oval Office and News Conference Room

Congrats to Alex for making the Dean's List for the University of West Florida as a Freshman and

Alex will be joining the Air Force ROTC with plans to join the Air Force upon graduation

Alex graduated from Hoover High School (Hoover, Alabama) in May 2007. She entered University of West Florida, in the Fall of 2007 and played soccer for the college team. She scored 3 goals during her Fresmen year and the team went on to win second place at the Gulf South Conference losing to The University of Montevallo. Alex was invited on scholarship to play for Coach Patricia Hughes at the University of Montevallo but has decided to join the Air Force ROTC and attend the University of Alabama instead. She has played soccer since the age of 5 and has always enjoyed a lot of success. Played for the Lady Bucs HS Varsity Soccer Team and was the backup Goal Keeper. Her senior year she was named Captain and also won MVP and the Booster Club Athletic Scholarship. Alex is a 3 time Birmingham News All State and All Metro Soccer Honors Player. In 2007, she played for the newly formed Birmingham United Soccer Club Lady Jets '89 with Coach John Markey. Alex has participated with ODP (Olympic Development Program) and was on the Alabama State ODP team. She has her Youth Module Level Coaching License and enjoys coaching when time permits. She has received many awards during her soccer career but is most proud of an award she received in 2005 as a sophomore at Hoover. She was awarded the first annual Caitlin Sweeney-McDaniel Award for Courage. She received this award because of her relentless ability to continue pressing forward, giving even beyond her best, staying on top of her game, even though her Mother was diagnosed with Stage 3C Breast Cancer and was undergoing chemotherapy. At the time, Alex normally played defense but she scored a goal off of a corner kick when briefly pushed up as center mid during a game, the night after her Mother had surgery. She counts that as one of her most memorable moments! She had dedicated that game to her Mom and was determined to make it meaningful. She was a true inspiration to her teammates. Alex loves ALL sports and it is not unusual to find her curled up by the radio listening to a football game when it is not being aired on TV. She also enjoys playing her guitar, writing music, and singing in Church. She has a 15 year old brother who plays guitar, writes songs, plays drums, and enjoys skate boarding and basketball. Alex's Mother is Ms. Patricia Lee, Founder-CEO Athletes Kickin' Cancer Non Profit Organization and her father is Dr. Stephen Avram of Sand Mountain, Alabama.