THE LITTLE girl who always loved school would never have imagined how deep her love for school would grow. She couldn’t know how her participation in athletics was weaving a tapestry of love and support for her future self. Life led the girl who grew up immersed in school and athletics, Jennifer Medley, to Unity School, but cancer joined the hearts of everyone at Unity to her.
Even before the roar of the stands became the hushed tones of the treatment clinic, Medley felt the tug of coaching. From middle and high school basketball and softball to volleyball and college softball, the pull of teamwork grew stronger with each step. Her cancer battle, however, deepened her understanding of community and unwavering support.
“So many people influenced me growing up. To this day, my parents have not missed anything I’ve done. And there are other role models, like teachers and coaches,” said Medley. “I’ve had two of my middle school coaches still come and watch my teams playing now. So, it has been full circle. I didn’t know it would be that way back then, but I always thought I’d love to be this kind of role model for others. You use athletics to get through a lot of life lessons.”
In August 2022, when the results of a routine annual physical exam revealed a mass measuring 10.4 centimeters on her ovaries, athletics offered more than a life lesson. It created a network and support system that teamed with Medley’s family, doctors, and friends to see her through an ovarian cancer diagnosis and treatment. It was high-grade serous carcinoma, stage 2, a fast-spreading cancer that is usually hard to detect early.
Medley relied on God’s grace, running head-on into what she couldn’t control.
“You have to let things go, and I’m not a let-goer; I’m a doer. But you have to let it go. You can only take on what you can do each day and put your faith in God above and [the medical team] taking care of you,” said Medley.
Also taking care of and encouraging her were her parents, John and Cathy Gooch; her brother and his wife, John and Selina Gooch; their daughters, Emma and Ella; and Medley’s boyfriend, Todd Nunn.
Following two surgeries, Medley underwent chemotherapy from December 2022 to March 2023. Countless friends and family members offered to go with her to her treatments.
“I almost had to draw names for people to go with me. Everybody wanted to go,” she said. And in many ways, they all did — especially for her last treatment.
Completing your last chemotherapy treatment is a big deal — a bell-ringing big deal. Medley knew about the bell, but she didn’t know about the bells in the hands of all of the staff and students in the gym at Unity waiting for the FaceTime call from Nunn at the end of her treatment. They all simultaneously rang bells to signify the end of Medley’s chemotherapy.
She said, “I didn’t know it, but Todd had worked it out with Principal Emily Pierce and Assistant Principal Andrea Brewer, and they arranged for every single student in Unity School, every teacher, every janitor, every lunchroom lady — everybody in this building was in the gym. And when I finished treatment, Todd FaceTimed my principal, and they all rang the bell at the same time that I was ringing it.”
Her treatment season ended on a high note, and she welcomed the next volleyball season with a new perspective. She said during her treatments that she just wanted things back to normal. But people gently reminded her it was unlikely.
“They said, ‘Jen, I don’t know that you’ll ever be who you were before.’ And they were right. I’m still Coach Medley, but you have a different outlook every morning when you wake up. You’re just grateful for every little thing.”
The following volleyball season, Medley and her team built upon the strength training her cancer battle brought to them and began with a preseason tournament victory that set the tone for every game to come.
“It was so emotional because, at one point, I didn’t even know if I would be able to coach, and there I was with a group of girls winning the tournament! Little did I know it was just the beginning,” said Medley.
The team won their Lincoln County tournament and ended their season fifth in the middle school state championship games.
“The drive and leadership these young ladies had was amazing to watch. They were by my side through some of my toughest battles. I fought for them, and I could feel their fight for me coming through on the court. I connect with all my players over the years, but I will share a special bond with this group of girls that I will cherish forever.”
Medley’s influence is evident and spread wider following her cancer journey.
Unity’s principal, Emily Pierce, said, “Jennifer makes a mark on the hearts of everyone she meets. Her students return time and time again to visit her and simply be near her. She has a competitor’s heart and fought her battle with a level of grace and gratitude that I truly admire. I am so grateful and honored to call her my friend.”
And her former student and player, Bethany Lamon, attests to the connections she makes. “Coach Medley played a huge role in molding the woman I am today. She showed me that my potential was determined by my mindset in basketball and life. Her passion and love for coaching inspire me, and her strength to never quit can be a lesson to us all.”
Cancer couldn’t defeat Medley’s spirit, influence, and love for the Unity community and Lincoln County. A good life became an extraordinary life filled with gratitude and appreciation for the place and people who put their arms around her and loved her through the most challenging game of her life. GN
