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Kelly Hayes (l.), Briana Leon and Mary Adams (r.) soared to new heights this past summer.

General Bobby Ciafardini, SID

In the Panther Spotlight: Trio Takes Purchase Softball to Africa

Every week, the Sports Information Department at Purchase will select a new student-athlete, coach/staff or event to highlight in our "In the Panther Spotlight" feature … today's feature: Panther Softball Trio Travels to South Africa with Beyond Sports Foundation 

Purchase, NY (Oct. 22, 2017) – Purchase College athletics can take you "Beyond Sports."

Recent alums Mary Adams and Briana Leon joined current softball standout Kelly Hayes this past June in doing so, taking part in an organization trip of the same name to Cape Town. Cape Town is a coastal city in South Africa and the second-most populous urban area in the country after Johannesburg.

Beyond Sports selected the trio following their success on the softball diamond at Purchase. The foundation's mission is to "use the power of sport to transform lives by turning athletic ability into life opportunity." This was accomplished on the trip to South Africa through shared dinners with opponents and during service-learning clinics for local youth, not to mention plenty of softball games for Adams, Leon and Hayes.

"I went on this tour because I saw this as a once in a lifetime opportunity straight after college," Leon explained. "I love traveling and always loved softball, so it seemed ideal to travel across to world to give back to less fortunate children through the sport I love.
 
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Leon said she learned more than expected. 

"First of all, I learned that we should be so grateful every day for what we have and what we dare complain about. Some of these kids had almost nothing and showed up to these clinics as happy as can be just because they were living another day with friends, family and the opportunity to meet 'Americans.' I also learned a lot about the beautiful culture in South Africa, while also learning about the horrible apartheid that they are a part of. It's hard to put into words but I learned a lot from the locals and the girls that joined us from all over the country."  
 
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Adams said there is no better way to learn than by experience.

"It is why I'm an actor. It is why I'm an athlete. You can give me a picture of a big mountain but I won't understand what it is until I climb it. You can show me a weird colored jam but I won't know if I like it until I taste it. You can stand in front of a classroom and tell me about the history of an apartheid, but I won't relate to it until I meet those that have gone through it. I think that is why Kelly, Bri and I were so excited for this opportunity to play softball in Africa. We were curious.

"Our two week journey in Cape Town and the surrounding areas may have started with the sole intention of playing and teaching softball, but in reality that was not the only reason me, Bri and Kelly were there. Yes, softball got us there and, yes, we were very excited to be playing the game, but we were in South Africa to have an experience. One that involved safaris, shark diving, mountains, history, new foods and most importantly new friends."
 
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Adams said the trip made her fall in love with the history and people of South Africa.

"Whether you're jumping into shark infested waters or stepping into the batter's box, two things we did on the trip. Whether you're learning about the culture and history of an entire country that is so many miles from your own, or you're learning about the person sitting next to you in class. Whether you're hiking a mountain with your friends, or you're clawing your way up through the entertainment industry. I urge you to be curious about experiencing the world we are living in and maybe, just maybe, along the way you'll get to throw a ball around with your teammates."

Leon described the experience as "once in a lifetime."

"Hiking up one of the seven natural wonders of the world, mingling with wild animals, swimming with great white sharks, and teaching the sport I love was just a snippet of the two weeks in South Africa. You never wanted to go to bed at night because there was so much you wanted to see and do. The people living there were some of the sweetest I have ever met and I wish every day that I could go back. Traveling to South Africa was honestly the best thing that ever happened to me."
 
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While Adams and Leon recently wrapped their senior seasons, Hayes is set to return for her junior year. But the summer after her sophomore campaign, she said will be hard to top.

"Traveling to Africa with my two best friends was the opportunity of a lifetime. And what could make it even better?  The fact that we'd be sharing the softball field one last time in Cape Town.  I have always dreamt about going to Africa and seeing its beauty, but I never actually thought I would make it there, especially this early on in my life. I have never even flown overseas before.  As soon as Briana, Mary, and I got the email that Beyond Sports invited us to play softball in Cape Town, we immediately texted each other in a group chat and our minds were made up – we just needed to go. After convincing our parents, we sent in our deposits and the real excitement began."

For more on Beyond Sports Tours, visit their website here

Here is Hayes' diary from the trip.

On June 5th, we met up at John F. Kennedy International Airport, and we couldn't believe we were leaving for two weeks. Getting to Cape Town took over 30 hours of traveling, and it felt like we completely missed June 6th.  The entire program consisted of over 70 people. 

On June 7th, the real fun began, with our welcome dinner to get to know all of the girls from all of the teams from across the United States. Briana, Mary and I were on Team Zebra, with girls from California, Wisconsin, Georgia, Rhode Island, Maine, and others.  There was even a girl from Vancouver, Canada.
 
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On June 8th, Team Zebra (and Penguin, Giraffe, and Cheetah) had their first practice to get ready for our first game against local South African teams. This is when we really started to branch out and get to know our teammates and our tour guides.

On June 9th, all four teams hiked to the top of Table Mountain, which is one of the Seven Natural Wonders of the World. The hike took around an hour and a half to complete, but it was like being on the stairway to heaven. The hike tested every part of my strength and patience.  It pushed you to your physical and mental limits. The views on the way up were breathtaking, literally. I was out of breath because the hike was one of the hardest things I have ever done.  Once I reached the top and saw the view of Cape Town, I realized just how beautiful life is.  I threw a stone off the top of the mountain that I picked up at the bottom.  This symbolizes throwing all of the things that have weighed you down in your past and leaving them there, just throw them away, so you can lead a clear and full life.
 
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On June 10th, we visited the Castle of Good Hope and the District Six museum.  It was a day filled with learning about the history of South Africa, what they went through, and what they are still going through. That night, we had a traditional South African meal at a restaurant called Langa.

On June 11th, we visited Boulder Beach, which is home to the African penguin. We spent hours just watching them interact with each other and swim. There were street vendors selling traditional homemade paintings, figurines, drums, keychains, and clothing. We later went on a tour of a local township to see what it is like to live outside the main city.

On June 12th, we embarked on our five-hour bus ride to Wilderness, Western Cape. Once we arrived, we immediately went to the water. Our hotel was on the coast of the Indian Ocean, which was freezing, I might add. We stayed outside watching the sunset.

On June 13th, we went on our safari ride, where we saw white rhinos, giraffes, lions, zebras, and elephants, in their natural state. 
 
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On June 14th, we swam with sharks.  We rode on a boat out to Seal Island, climbed in a cage, and got dropped in the Indian Ocean, which is infested with great white sharks. We plunged into the water watching the sharks chase the bait, and there was one point where the shark bit the cage right by Mary.
 
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On June 15th, we made our way back to Cape Town, and we played a game.

On June 16th, we had our last clinic. We taught over 100 children how to correctly catch a ball, throw, and crow hop. It was amazing to see two completely different cultures come together and bond over playing a sport. We didn't even have to speak the same language to connect to them.  Especially softball, which is not as popular as soccer. This is the day that I realized how sports are universal, quite like the subject of math. It's the same in every language, and in every country. It doesn't matter if you're rich or poor, white or black. The only thing that matters is your love for the sport, and your opportunity to make a difference in someone's life. Even if I didn't make a difference in their life, they definitely made a difference in mine. 

On June 17th, we departed the beautiful city to make our way back home.
 
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I learned so much on this trip. It completely exceeded my expectations. It got me away from my everyday routine. I hate to sound cliché, but it gave me a different perspective on the way life could be, and should be lived. Everyday should be different, and you should learn new things, explore new places. Having never left mainland U.S., once I returned, I found myself longing to be back.

If anyone has the opportunity to travel and play a sport, they should take it, and not even think twice. Traveling gives you much more than memories and pictures to put up on your instagram.  It allows you to see how others live, and it makes you reflect and think about how your life should be lived.
 
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Players Mentioned

Mary  Adams

#9 Mary Adams

SS
Senior
Kelly Hayes

#8 Kelly Hayes

OF
Sophomore
Briana  Leon

#7 Briana Leon

C/3B
Senior

Players Mentioned

Mary  Adams

#9 Mary Adams

Senior
SS
Kelly Hayes

#8 Kelly Hayes

Sophomore
OF
Briana  Leon

#7 Briana Leon

Senior
C/3B