Where Determination Meets the Horizon

For the past seven years, Kent and I have followed the University of Iowa Hawkeye women’s basketball team. We’ve held season tickets and have had the pleasure of witnessing the meteoric rise of Caitlin Clark and women’s basketball.

Living and working in Iowa City during this time has been sheer fun. It’s a small midwestern college town with a lot of culture and a vibrant community, and the excitement around the Lady Hawkeyes is palpable.

There is a pre-occupation, really. Recently at a departmental meeting at my work, we discussed the Lady Hawkeyes. My boss assigned each of us a player that we resembled in some way. (She gave me Caitlin, for obvs reasons! 😁) We talked about it for 30 minutes!

Confession: I have been claiming that Caitlin is my niece but that is not true…. She's just another Clark, as am I!

Kent and I were thrilled to watch the team compete in the WBB NCAA championship for the past two years, last year in Dallas and this year in Cleveland. And I would be remiss if I didn’t mention the Hawkeye fans! It is so fun to make a pilgrimage and arrive at the destination to see so many of your people who made the same journey.

Where determination meets the horizon, the only limit is the sky itself.

Watching this team on their journey has been entertaining, but their tenacity on the court is more than just a game; it’s a testament to the raw potential of young women when given the chance to pursue their passions. It’s exhilarating to envision a world where such pursuits are not just dreams but tangible realities.

It makes me think of Cole Brauer, a young woman who recently became the first American woman to sail single-handed around the world. Sailing First Light in the 2024 Global Solo Challenge, Brauer set out on October 29, 2023 from A Coruña, Spain with sailors from 10 different countries. Out of the 16 sailors who competed, she was the only woman. 

The race is dangerous – she spent 130 days alone at sea, navigating the three “Great Capes” of Africa, Australia, and South America – and she finished second, back in Spain, on March 7, 2024.

She posted to social media (Instagram @colebraueroceanracing) throughout her entire journey where I, and thousands of others, followed along. Seeing her finish was sweet victory.

Right now, it feels like this is the world we are creating—a world where young women can chart their own course, unfettered by the currents of doubt, and propelled by the winds of encouragement and equality. It’s a better world for all of us, and it’s unfolding right before our eyes!

Sights from the Women’s Final Four 2024 in Cleveland

Final Word: Caitlin’s talent is undeniable, but attributing the team’s success solely to her would be a disservice to the rest of the squad. From my POV, this team exemplifies real teamwork. They recognized Caitlin’s star power and leveraged it, while Caitlin, in turn, placed her trust in them. Caitlin clearly pushed her teammates to rise to the occasion, and they did. As a result, they all excelled, and they all dominated. Go Hawks!