By Abigail Hansen
I first met Rachel Emel (’25) in the fall of 2021 when she began her freshman year at Southern Virginia University. She instantly impressed me with her field hockey skills and easy-to-love nature. Rachel’s contagious laughter and strong spirit is just a small part of what makes her such a great teammate/friend. Her discipline and ability to overcome even the most difficult of obstacles shines through on the field, as well as in her personal life.
In August of last year, Rachel’s semester took an unexpected turn. Rachel experienced a medical emergency that resulted in surgery, along with a stay at the hospital.
“I thought I just had the flu… I suddenly felt a pop in my side and passed out.”
What had seemed to be a lingering seasonal illness ended up being mononucleosis (better known as mono. And that popping feeling that Rachel had, was her spleen rupturing; an extremely rare but possible complication from mono.
“I was lucky that my friend Haylee was home. She was meant to be out of town, but had a feeling that she should stay.”
Her friend Haylee sped past cop cars to get Rachel the urgent help that she needed so that Rachel could make it to the hospital.
“We were going at least 20 mph over the speed limit, passing cops, but luckily they didn’t pull us over.”
Those “lucky” circumstances proved to be crucial as Rachel’s situation was dire.
“When I woke up from surgery I was told that I had almost died. I lost a lot of blood.”
Rachel’s operation was ultimately a success but was forced to stay at the hospital for a few days to be monitored as she began her recovery. Upon leaving the hospital, Rachel would have to endure the aftermath of her emergency surgery. She would have to take time to heal, which meant she wouldn’t be able to get back on the field anytime soon.
“It was hard having to sit on the sidelines, not being able to play… It felt like I lost my outlet.”
Though Rachel was not able to play, she was at every practice supporting her teammates. Her leadership skills were evident, even from the sidelines. Rachel pushed through her recovery and was recently made co-captain of the field hockey team.
Her love and dedication to athletics has also inspired her hopeful career path. Rachel is majoring in biology, minoring in athletic training, and concentrating in physical therapy. Wherever life may take her, it is clear that Rachel will persevere and succeed.
Make sure to support women’s field hockey next season and Rachel as a co-captain!
Rachel Emel: How the Field Hockey Co-Captain Overcame Her Obstacles was originally published in The Herald on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.
