“Sports will test your skill, but they will also test your character,” said Tai Duncan, a 2000 U-High alumna, at the National Girls and Women in Sports breakfast hosted by the Laboratory Schools athletics department Feb. 17.
The event is the first of its kind at Lab, but the athletics department staff said it will not be the last. They have other similar events honoring female athletes planned for the following months in hopes of increasing recognition of women in sports.
“We’re celebrating 130 years, that’s 130 years that you’ve had people walking around these hallways, right? You know, in 1896, we didn’t have the opportunity to play sports, and be who we are,” Juliana Zavala, athletics director, said. “Today, we’re celebrating you.”
Along with a panel featuring Ms. Duncan and former broadcast journalist Shelia Olivier, seniors Xia Nesbitt and Camila Bravo also read essays that were part of their nominations for all-state academic teams.
Through their essays, both Xia and Camila emphasized the importance of sports in their lives and in their experiences with resilience.
During the panel, Ms. Duncan also talked about how being an athlete has shaped her identity and the way that she approaches her everyday life.
“I think this starts with being an athlete, that confidence comes from doing things before I felt ready. I do have a lot of resilience through just understanding my values,” Ms. Duncan said. “The way to build confidence is to lean into the issues.”
