INDIANOLA, Iowa — Indianola softball is chasing more than banners in 2024. The team is dedicating its season to an Indianola alum battling cancer.
After graduating in 2023, Kailey Peters and her family moved to Florida. Peters began experiencing unexpected health problems in the fall. Just a few months later, she was diagnosed with Lymphoma.
Thousands of miles away, her battle with cancer is inspiring her friends.
"She's a big inspiration," said Indianola junior Ava Tichy. "She shows us that it's really important to fight, and that there's more in life than just the game. But the game has also taught us how to fight."
Peters is a student at Hillsborough Community College in Tampa and is a member of the volleyball team.
"There's a lot people out there that are less fortunate than us that aren't able to play the game that they love right now," said senior Kira Robins. "So we just go out there with that mentality."
One of Peters' former volleyball teammates at Indianola has learned from her fight.
"You can either learn from it, or you can grow from it," said junior centerfielder Dana Blake. "Just seeing how much [Kailey] has fought through her battle with cancer has just pushed me just to see the better in life and just take whatever I've learned from sports or my relationship with God, or in every aspect of my life, just to grow from it."
Indianola has finished .500 or better for 14 seasons in a row, but they are currently sitting at 8-10 with an entirely new infield. Peters' fight has given the team perspective on the wins and losses.
"She's fighting for her life, but we're fighting for a game so we take her fight and we don't think about ourselves. We think about everybody else," said senior leftfielder Katie Fosenburg. "We think about how that our one little win is not going to be as big as winning a battle of cancer."
"When we're down in games or having a hard day, like just reminding yourself that there are people that are battling cancer and Kailey and just thinking about her, it just makes you want to push harder," Tichy said.
As Peters continues chemotherapy, members of the Indianola community have organized "The Fight for KP Walk" on the town square on July 12 at 6 p.m.