Soccer Standout Kicks Cancer With Support Of Campus Community
She thought she had a concussion. It turned out to be much more than that. But Leslie Oliver found the support she needed to beat cancer and return to soccer field.
Two years ago, Leslie Oliver was a starting midfielder on her hometown Wittenberg University women’s soccer team. Her journey to the Senior Recognition Day festivities that will take place Oct. 26, 2012, figured to be smooth and uneventful, filled with goals, assists and, certainly, many more victories.
That was before the fateful moment on Oct. 2, 2010, when she collided with an Ohio Wesleyan University player during a 1-0 Wittenberg victory at Edwards-Maurer Field. She was diagnosed with a concussion and had a CAT scan as a precautionary measure shortly afterward.
Amazingly – perhaps even fortuitously – it turned out to be more than just a concussion. It was the start of a two-year journey that included a pair of brain surgeries, treatments and much more. Along the way, Leslie Oliver's teammates, coaches, family and campus community rallied around her.