Stories of triumph aren’t a rare occurrence in the world of sports today. Oftentimes, we’re welcomed into the lives of these athletes as they share how they have bounced back from injury, surgery or mental health struggles.
But among them all, there are not many with a story quite like that of one of the Baltimore Orioles’ rookie sensations.
No, I’m not talking about Jackson Holliday, who has stolen all the headlines and attention with his incredible potential and his impressive performance this season. Holliday deserves the attention that he receives, but his story isn’t nearly as triumphant as his teammate, Coby Mayo’s.
One of the first things that sticks out on any page that covers Mayo is his high school. Majority Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida. Yes, that’s the school that was home to the Parkland school shooting in 2018.
The shooting occurred six years ago in 2018. Given the fact that Mayo is aged 22 right now, that would mean he was 16 at the time of the shooting and a student at the school when the tragedy occurred.
A tragedy like that can have a few different outcomes on a person. Some people are impacted so heavily, even with survivor’s guilt, that they spiral down a terrible path of mental health struggles. Some people are just never the same after experiencing something like that.
But Mayo came out on the other side of one of America’s biggest tragedies with more strength and motivation than ever before.
“I wanted to be in the big leagues my whole life, and that kind of gave me a little extra motivation to make it,” Mayo said. “I’ve always said I want to play for the city and the victims and the families.”
The young star doesn’t go a day without remembering that fateful February morning. It’s forever going to have an impact on his, but Mayo’s triumphant spirit has made sure that the impact pushed him forward rather than dragging him down.
“I think the students of the school, the teachers, families, you grow up a little bit quicker, and you realize life’s short, and you want to put everything you can into it when you have the opportunity,” Mayo said.
Mayo has the opportunity and platform to be a role model for victims and survivors of unspeakable tragedy. He’s more than just a baseball player and a top prospect. He’s a real person with a story of triumph and strength.
