Last night, I attended the women’s Eurobasket tournament hosted in Athens. For the first time in my life, I got to see my dear friend, Pinelopi Pavlopoulou, play. The stadium was packed. The team lost. But Pinelopi won, and this is the story of why!

I met Pinelopi back in 2011. We were both newcomers to ACS Athens (American Community Schools). Walking into an elite international school felt a little uncomfortable in the beginning (and for no reason, as time would later show). But from day one, she stood out!

Even as a teenager, Pinelopi was already living the life of a professional athlete. She’d wake up before dawn to practice, come to school like the rest of us, head back to the court afterwards, return home late at night, and then stay up to study. And still, she was one of the top students in our class!

We sat next to each other in IB Math Higher Level. On most days, we had no idea what Dr. Andreas Tsokos was talking about, but we laughed, we tried, and we made it through. The night before our final Paper 3 exam, I asked her if she was ready. “No,” she said. I wasn’t either. I flunked, she probably didn’t. But that wasn’t the battle that mattered.

We both went to college with full scholarships for different reasons. I went to the The University of Kansas; Pinelopi to Washington State University, where she played D1 basketball while studying Information Systems Management. Summers were for wearing the national jersey and representing Greece. A dual life, athlete and academic, that few could ever sustain.

In December 2017, she texted me: "I'm coming to Lawrence to play against KU next week. Will you be there?"

I was there! I didn’t make it to the game, because I had to catch a flight to Greece, but we met the day before. I snuck her out of The Oread Hotel and we went for ice cream at Sylas and Maddy's. We talked for hours. She was nervous her college career was ending, and she hadn't signed with a team. She was applying to tech management jobs. She wasn’t sure basketball was a real option.

But I knew! I knew she wasn’t made for a desk job. Pinelopi is a champion!

Months later, another message came: "You won’t believe it! I signed with Olympiacos BC! And the company I told you about? They let me defer for a year so I can chase my dream!"

That company was Dell Technologies, and this is my personal gratitude to them for giving my friend the safety net that allowed her to leap.

We lost touch for a while. Life got busy. But I always followed her from afar, cheering her on, liking every post, especially the ones with the blue and white jersey.

A few weeks ago, I slid into her DMs: "I got tickets for the game on June 21st against Turkey. I can’t wait to watch you play!"

And last night, I did! I wore my blue t-shirt and took my husband to his first women’s basketball game. I had spoken about her so much, he became her number one fan!

We couldn’t find a jersey, because apparently the Hellenic Basketball Federation only thinks fans want jerseys of Giannis Antetokounmpo , whom we all love by the way. But we also want to wear Pinelopi Pavlopoulou, Mariella Fasoula, Elena Bosgana, and all the other women on our team. These women are exceptional, and they deserve to be seen (and worn) with pride!

The game was intense. When Pinelopi was introduced in front of 10,000+ fans, I teared up. When she sang the national anthem, I cried and sang along with her.

After the game, I waited by the Team Exit at the Peace and Friendship Stadium (how fitting?). We hugged for a long, long time. She looked at me and said: "It sucks."

But it doesn’t...

• Because Pinelopi Pavlopoulou is a champion.
• Because she is what resilience looks like.
• Because she reminds us what women athletes are made of.
• Because she has never stopped running toward her dreams… and now thousands of us are running with her!

This is my appreciation post for a friend, a role model, and a woman who represents the best of what sports, courage, and heart can give to the world.

Thank you, Pinelopi μου!