At Purpose2Play, we love telling the sports stories that deserve to be told. Here are our top stories from May, as measured by pageviews.
5. Todd Heap honoring late 3-year-old daughter with hugs, kindness
Former Baltimore Ravens tight end Todd Heap lost his 3-year-old daughter, Holly, on April 14 in an unimaginable tragedy. Heap, a 12-year NFL veteran, was moving a truck in his driveway, and without knowing his daughter was in the vicinity, struck her with the vehicle.
Wednesday would have been her fourth birthday, so to honor Holly, Heap and his family are asking the public for help.
4. Photo finish: “Sexy old fart” and wife complete 5K
It’s not often that a photo of an 88-year-old man and an 84-year-old woman goes viral. However, Bob and Betty Kinder are far from ordinary.
Bob wore a “sexy” blue hat he had custom-designed for the Oklahoma City Memorial 5K on April 30. To be specific, it read, “SEXY OLD FART.”
As he and his wife, Betty, crossed the finish line holding hands, race officials snapped a photo and it spread quickly on social media. And, so did their story.
3. Man with hemophilia is making his way up Mt. Everest
Now Bombardier is about to make history. The humanitarian from Denver, Colorado is prepared to summit Mt. Everest, becoming the first person with hemophilia to ever do so.
The expedition began from the Everest base camp on April 18th and on April 30th, his climbing team made it to Camp 3, which is 4,500 feet from the summit of the legendary Himalayan mountain.
2. LPGA Tour Pro Paula Creamer has military ties that run deep
Memorial Day is a time for all of us to pause and remember those who died for our country; and to think about what they sacrificed for our freedom. For LPGA Tour veteran Paula Creamer, giving back to the people who serve—and their families—is something she thinks about almost every day.
Creamer comes from and married into a military family. Her father served 22 years as a naval pilot. Her husband, Derek, served and was deployed with the U.S. Air Force. She also has a cousin who’s a Marine. But, Creamer’s passion for supporting the military goes beyond her own family experience.
1. Meet Johanna Quaas, the 92-year-old gymnast
At an age when simply stepping off a curb can present challenges, 92-year-old Johanna Quaas is doing cartwheels, headstands, and working the parallel bars better than someone half her age.
That’s because Quaas is the oldest competitive gymnast in the world.