The Enduring Legacy of Alex Wilcox
On the planet of softball, sure names transcend stats and scoreboards. They turn out to be symbols—of hope, of resilience, and of the ability of the human spirit. A type of names is Alex Wilcox.
Alex, a standout expertise from Brantley, Alabama, left an unforgettable mark on the softball world earlier than her life was tragically reduce quick in 2018 because of ovarian most cancers. But within the time she was given, she did greater than most do in a lifetime—each on and off the sector.
Recognized with ovarian most cancers at simply 15 years previous, Alex refused to let her prognosis outline her. As a substitute, she fought with all the pieces she had, persevering with to play the sport she cherished whereas present process chemotherapy and therapy. She helped lead Brantley Excessive Faculty to a number of state championships and earned a scholarship to play softball at Mississippi State College.
Regardless of the toll of her sickness, Alex by no means stopped competing. Throughout her freshman season at Mississippi State, she appeared in eight video games, amassing three hits, together with her first collegiate knock in opposition to UMass Lowell. She did all of this whereas balancing therapy and a full educational course load—incomes a spot on the SEC Honor Roll.
Her braveness captured the hearts of not solely the Mississippi State neighborhood but in addition the broader softball world. Olympians like Jessica Mendoza and Michele Smith voiced their help for Alex, and her workforce launched a “No One Fights Alone” marketing campaign, donning teal uniforms throughout midweek video games to lift consciousness for ovarian most cancers and stand with their teammate in her struggle.
“Alex was a tremendous younger girl,” mentioned Mississippi State head coach Samantha Ricketts.
“She was such a brilliant gentle—she cherished Jesus, she cherished her household and pals, and to chortle, dance, and have enjoyable. Even within the midst of her battle she at all times had a smile on her face and was excited to go to follow or exercises. Softball was one thing she really loved doing along with her pals. She was additionally extraordinarily aggressive and didn’t let something maintain her again from her objectives.”
Coach Ricketts believes Alex’s influence was magnified by way of the unity of the softball neighborhood.
“Her struggle in opposition to ovarian most cancers and the best way your entire softball world rallied round her really confirmed why the softball neighborhood is so particular. The help from packages, gamers, and organizations throughout the nation proved that nobody fights alone of their battles—each massive and small.”
Alex’s affect reached far past the SEC.
Richard Shea, proprietor and normal supervisor of the Birmingham Thunderbolts—the journey softball group Alex performed for—remembers her not simply as a gifted athlete, however as a deeply brave and selfless teammate.
“Alex was a exceptional function mannequin for anybody going through a critical sickness,” Shea shared.
“Her motto was ‘By no means Give Up,’ and she or he really lived by these phrases. After being recognized with ovarian most cancers as a younger woman, Alex continued to play softball for so long as she may. Even when she was too sick from therapies and too weak to play, she by no means missed an opportunity to help her teammates from the sidelines, cheering them on with unwavering spirit. Her braveness, willpower, and selflessness proceed to encourage everybody who knew her.”
To today, Alex’s legacy continues to form the Thunderbolts group.
“She exemplified onerous work, willpower, and braveness,” Shea mentioned. “There’s no telling how nice she may’ve turn out to be had she not been impacted by most cancers. However her influence isn’t measured by what may’ve been—it’s measured by the lives she touched.”
The Thunderbolts have taken intentional steps to make sure Alex is rarely forgotten. Her jersey quantity, #8, was retired and stays the one retired quantity within the group’s historical past. A tribute to her hangs of their facility, and Shea speaks about Alex to each class of Thunderbolts gamers throughout tournaments and their annual signing occasion.
“Alex’s legacy is one thing we’re all happy with,” he mentioned.
“The Thunderbolts group is a real, cohesive, family-oriented group; we aren’t only a assortment of groups sharing the identical jersey. We have now a web page on our web site to honor Alex and make sure that nobody ever forgets how fantastic she was. Alex was buried along with her Bolts jersey. #8 is hers eternally. I discuss her to the ladies yearly at tournaments and at our December signing celebration. It’s onerous for me to get the phrases out most instances, however the youngsters want to listen to this message. I inform them about how onerous she labored and the way a lot she cared concerning the Bolts. I remind them that the jersey they put on represents one thing greater than any one among us.”
“Gamers like Alex set the usual for our group, and each technology has a duty to hold that legacy ahead.”
In honor of Alex, all Thunderbolts groups put on teal jerseys each Saturday—an concept that began with the group and has since expanded throughout the game. Most notably, the Southeastern Convention dedicates a weekend every spring the place each SEC softball workforce wears teal in Alex’s reminiscence and to lift consciousness for ovarian most cancers.
That weekend is now generally known as the “All for Alex, SEC Goes Teal” marketing campaign, which started as a partnership between Beth Torina at LSU and Vann Stuedeman at MSU. Torina created the Geaux Teal Basis throughout her personal mom’s battle with ovarian most cancers.
“Yearly the weekend grows and now consists of different universities exterior of the SEC,” Ricketts shared.
“It’s particular to see all the groups, coaches, and followers come collectively to help such an essential trigger. Ovarian most cancers is usually not caught till the later levels, so educating the ladies in our packages, our fanbases, and in our lives has turn out to be the mission.”
“This battle in opposition to ovarian most cancers is greater than one younger girl, however by honoring Alex and retaining her legacy alive, we’re capable of attain excess of we ever anticipated and proceed to share and honor her story and the message that nobody really fights alone.”
Continued Legacy By means of Scholarship & Consciousness
A lot of the continuing consciousness and help efforts are coordinated carefully with the Geaux Teal Basis, which was co-founded by LSU’s Beth Torina to honor her personal mom’s battle with ovarian most cancers. By means of this partnership and others, Alex’s legacy continues to the touch lives.
“Loads of what we do is run in coordination with the Geaux Teal Basis,” shared Kassidy Wilcox Lee, Alex’s sister. “There’s a small scholarship given at Brantley in her legacy.”
Moreover, ESPN’s Holly Rowe has established a scholarship in remembrance of Alex. The scholarship is called the Alex Wilcox Memorial Scholarship, honoring Alex and making certain her legacy lives on eternally on the softball subject.
Past the uniforms and symbols, Alex’s story is one among grit, pleasure, and unity. She reminded the softball neighborhood—and everybody watching—that energy isn’t at all times loud. Typically, it reveals up in quiet consistency, relentless encouragement, and the choice to point out up, even on the toughest days.
Alex Wilcox’s legacy lives on in each teal jersey, each younger woman who hears her story, and each workforce who chooses to play with coronary heart over ego. She confirmed the world that “By no means Give Up” wasn’t only a motto—it was a lifestyle.
Her jersey could also be retired, however her influence by no means can be.
For extra heartfelt tales, go to our Overcoming Adversity web page at Further Inning Softball.
