It's rare to come off the curve 100 yards from the finish line and be met by a blast of applause. Then again, St. John Fisher College sprinter Sammie Gehl deserved the standing ovation. The fact that she was standing — no, running — was worthy of celebration.
Running in lane 3 Saturday, Gehl was competing in her first collegiate 200 meters, and the yellow-clad onlookers and her track and field teammates let the freshman nursing major know that they were behind her and beside her the entire way. It was Gehl's first time running competitively since her right leg was amputated while she battled osteosarcoma, a form bone cancer.
“It was amazing. I wasn’t expecting this at all," said Gehl, who competed with a prosthetic in the Cardinal Classic at Fisher's Polisseni Track and Field Complex. "It brought tears to my eyes. I’m just so happy right now.”
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