ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — We all know rebounding is a big part of basketball, but this past year, Hollins High School senior Aby Salina Jean realized it’s also a big part of life after she lost her home, car, and nearly her life during Hurricane Helene.
“So, I was actually laying down with my dog in my bed, and then my nana came into my room, she said, ‘it’s flooding,’ and I was like, ‘what’s going on?’” said Aby. “So I went outside, and my car was in the garage, and it was completely flooded, the home, it started flooding really like 12 a.m. in the morning, we had to get out because the sockets were starting to explode, so we had to leave, and by the time we left the water was up to our waist.”
Jean is used to playing road games on her high school basketball team, but since September, her entire life has been a road trip, staying at friends’ houses and hotel rooms as she waits for her home to be repaired.
“It was very saddening, especially because it was only a couple months ago we just moved in, so we were trying to renovate and everything. So it was very sad to just see everything go so fast,” said Jean.
Despite all these challenges, Jean continued to lead her team, both on and off the court.
“ I knew that if I let this little tiny obstacle, even though it was really big, I had to think of it as tiny to overcome it because even though that happened, school still goes on, basketball still goes on, but those things made my day really a blessing, and it made me feel like everything was a little bit more normal,” said Jean.
Jean's dedication and resilience did not go unnoticed by Coach Kelly Jones.
“If that would have been me I would have hoped I would have the same response as Aby has, but definitely shown courage sticking with all the things she committed to when she could have easily just said, ‘hey I can’t do this anymore,’” said Jones.
Coach Jones nominated Jean for the Jersey Mike’s Naismith High School Courage Award. Out of hundreds of nominations across the country, Jean was one of only 10 girls selected as a finalist. The winner will be announced on Feb. 20.
“I was actually very surprised. I didn’t think that I would be chosen. I felt like very lucky and very blessed, I was like, ‘me, are you sure?”’ said Jean.
She hopes to be a voice for all of those in the community affected by the storms. Whether you suffer a loss in a game or in life, what matters most is how you respond.
“I always try to look at the positive. I’m the optimistic of the team. Even though there is negative times when we are all crying, I’m like, ‘Okay, guys, let's pick ourselves up. There is another game, we can win it. We just have to keep pushing and get through it,’” said Jean.
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