Survivor Mya Gilchrist the Official Hawkeye Kid Captain at Kinnick Stadium This Weekend!

It's a big weekend coming up.  It will be the first sporting event that I've ever gotten to photograph from on-field.  I've gotten hundreds, if not thousands of shots from everywhere else, it's about time.  I wondered if we had any in-roads with the Hawkeyes and my boss said just email them and ask if you can take some pictures.  I did, and I'm guessing against their better judgment they offered me a press pass to this weekend's game vs the Troy Trojans.

I'm excited and have been reviewing the materials they sent along with the parking info, it's a lot to take in.  I don't want to mess up and get thrown out.  It could happen.  I was almost tossed out of a Neil Diamond concert because I didn't want to miss the opening number "America". That's how I roll, funny story, I tell ya if you're interested.

It's a big day for many

It's not just a big day for me, it's also a big day for Mya Gilchrist. Eighteen-year-old Mya Gilchrist from Center Point will be honored as the next Kid Captain when the Iowa Hawkeyes face off against Troy at Kinnick Stadium this Saturday, September 14th.

Who is Mya Gilchrist?

Mya's journey began when she was just 18 months old, experiencing balance issues that led to a diagnosis of a brain stem tumor. She received surgery at the University of Iowa Health Care Stead Family Children's Hospital.The tumor, identified as a cancerous pilocytic astrocytoma, is a slow-growing brain tumor originating from star-shaped cells known as astrocytes.

Mya endured 74 weeks of chemotherapy, but faced a relapse at age 5. After completing another 74 weeks of chemotherapy, she relapsed once more at age 12. During another phase of her treatment, Mya's tumor shrank. However, last year she was diagnosed with malignant myelofibrosis, a rare blood cancer, and polycythemia vera, a condition that leads to an overproduction of red blood cells and is managed through regular blood draws.

Fortunately, test results in August were positive, and her condition remains stable. Now a high school senior, Mya aspires to become a registered nurse. She also has a passion for choreography and is an active member of a dance team.  In addition to her academic and extracurricular pursuits, Mya leads the Mya Strong Foundation, which provides financial support to local families affected by pediatric oncology.

If I get Mya's picture this weekend, I'll be taking a picture of a winner for sure.  Time will tell, if I get that picture, and though my heart might lay with a Terrapin team, when in Rome, Go Hawks and Go Mya!!