TOLEDO, Ohio — The college swimming season is winding down. For one Toledo freshman, just being in the pool at the University of Toledo is a minor miracle.
Cora Walrond has overcome all the odds to become a Division I swimmer. As she glides through the pool, a life of struggles is left in her wake.
A few years ago, just getting to the University of Toledo seemed farfetched. But as you'll quickly learn, Cora Walrond isn't your average person.
"She's definitely inspirational,” said Toledo Head Coach Brie Globig. “She has a lot of grit. She's a hard worker. She's had to overcome so many obstacles that most people don't have to and she still has such a positive attitude. She just makes the most out of every practice and every competition that she's in."
Back in 2014, Walrond was diagnosed with Stage IV Hodgkin lymphoma. The Fort Wayne native spent her days in an Indianapolis hospital going through chemotherapy and wondering about her future in the pool.
"It's the feeling of the side effects, it's the mentality that you have to go through, it's the thinking of, 'what's going to happen after this?'” said Walrond. “It's the thoughts of 'why me? Why is this happening to me? What's going to happen after this?' That's the hardest part, I think."
The same determination that Walrond shows in the pool, she showed in her fight against cancer. Throughout her battle, she never lost her passion for the sport.
"When I got diagnosed, I never stopped swimming through treatments and all of my doctors were very surprised,” said Walrond. “My hemoglobin was tanked. All my levels were tanked. But I think that is one of the main reasons that I got through the treatment the way I did was my body was so strong."
Just a few years ago, the dream of being a Division I athlete was simply that: a dream. But now it's a reality, and she's defied the odds all along the process.
"When I think about going from a Stage IV cancer patient to being a Division I athlete, I think that sounds crazy,” said Walrond. “I don't really know how to explain it. I really think it's your mentality that gets you through it and it's your support system that gets you through it. You just have to think positively and you just can't stop. If it makes you happy, you've gotta keep doing it."
"She definitely puts things in perspective for myself at least,” said Globig. “If I'm not having a great day or I'm a little tired, I can just remember all the things she's battled through and accomplished. It helps to keep me going."
She's not just an inspiration to her coaches. Anyone who hears her story can certainly appreciate the struggles she's faced and learn from her determination.
"I thought it was all done. I thought I was done swimming. I'm gonna be honest, I'm a better swimmer now than I ever was, after I went through the chemo, after I went through Stage IV cancer, after I went through everything," Walrond said. "I think that's just my determination. You just have to be determined and you have to put your mind to it and it's going to be hard, but you can do it."
