Ana Holman perseveres through series of unfortunate events

Fast forward to now where Holman is a senior for the Jackson County Panthers and brings more to the team than just the stats and points.

Holman has had a series of unfortunate events happen to her during her high school years at Jackson County. She could have easily given up, but she continued to rise above the adversity she was face to face with.

Early on in 2020 during peak COVID-19 season Holman started having severe abdominal pain. Due to all the sickness in the world Holman was skeptical about going to the doctor, until her mother found her lying on the floor in so much pain.

“After finding me, she pretty much told me I did not have a choice and I had to go to the Emergency room. The doctor at the hospital told me I needed to see an OBGYN. After further tests, they determined I had a five centimeter fallopian tube cyst on my right side and needed it removed immediately. A 30 minute surgery turned into a three hour surgery. The cyst wrapped around my fallopian tube and cut off my blood circulation and later pulled my appendix down into my pelvic area,” Holman described.

Holman explained this event as “life changing.” Three short months later Holman had to randomly have her tonsils removed. Three months after the tonsils, Holman had a weight room accident where three 45 pound weights fell on her foot and crushed it.

“Within nine months I underwent three surgeries. I went from zero to three in less than a year. I felt like every time I started to recover from one thing, something else happened to me. I just could not catch a break. It affected my mental health as a whole just due to the fact my life had changed so much, so fast,” Holman stated.

Holman feels as if not giving up says “ a lot” about her character and dedication to the team. “I believe it said a lot about me and my character because I made a choice to stay strong during it all. I made that choice to keep pushing and doing everything I could. I could have easily given up but I did not want that to be my option,” Holman said.

Through all the traumatic events Holman faced during her high school years, she feels as if each one of the events shaped and molded her character.

“I think with everything I learned so much. This taught me not to sweat the small things and look at the bigger picture. It shaped and changed my whole mindset and helped me put a different perspective on life,” Holman explained.

Holman is a leader on the court for the Panthers. She recounts being a leader as one of her “greatest strengths.”

“Being a leader is one of my greatest strengths. It just means sacrificing myself to help others succeed in whatever I am doing. I believe giving and earning respect is very important to my leadership capabilities. It often means leading by example,” Holman described.

Christi Thomas, head girls basketball coach at Jackson County High School described her as a leader and an all around great person as well.

“She is a leader on our basketball team. She always has a smile on her face and the sweetest disposition. When most people would have given up, she kept going. Even when she struggled mentally, she still showed up for others. Her stats won’t blow you away, but who she is as a person is far more valuable,” Thomas said.

Not only is Holman a leader on the court, but also in the classroom. She is in the top 10% of her class, a member of the Jackson County student leadership team, Beta Club and the National Honor Society.