KALAMAZOO, Mich. — It’s not about being the best. It’s not even about your level of skill.
“I was the last picked to play on the team,” said Laurel Hyames-Sayre. “I was the least athletic person you know.”
It’s about doing what you can with what you’ve been given.
“If you ever don’t want to get up and move, just think about Laurel,” said Dre Ballines.
Laurel is well-known around the West Hills Athletic Club in Kalamazoo, working out at the facility five days a week before the pandemic.
“I think it’s a matter of if you don’t keep it up, you’re not doing to be able to,” said Hyames-Sayer.
Now, she can be seen still regularly frequenting West Hills twice a week as she works with her trainer, Ballines.
“She doesn’t want me to take it easy on her but we all can’t do things that we used to do,” said Ballines. “The level of her capabilities have slightly diminished.”
What hasn’t diminished is Laurel’s love for the Detroit Tigers.
“I enjoyed 1968 and 1984, and it’s been kind of rough since then,” said Hyames-Sayre.
Part of the struggle has been bad luck. Another part has been the lack of Southpaw’s -much like Laurel herself -in their ranks.
That led to her trainer making sure to do something about it.
“She’s truly one of a kind. That’s why we wanted to make this happen,” said Ballines. “She inspires so many people and I want to make sure she knows that and that this is about her.”
On Wednesday, Hyames-Sayre, Ballines, and nearly 60 of their closest friends -coming from as far as Arizona and Florida -piled onto a coach bus before heading down to Detroit.
All to see Laurel throw out the ceremonial first pitch at the Tigers game against the San Francisco Giants -the same day as Laurel’s 97th birthday.
After the pitch, there was only one thing on Laurel’s mind: “I’m glad it’s over and I’m glad the ball went where I told it to.”
It may not have been the fastest pregame pitch, but that’s not what matters. It never did.
Much as it’s been for every day of Laurel’s life, it’s only ever been about giving it your all.
“I like to be active and hope I can always be this way,” said Hyames-Sayre.