The Presbyterian College women’s tennis team held its home opening match a few weeks ago on January 27th where the team suffered a tough defeat against the North Florida Ospreys 4-0. 

While the Blue Hose suffered a setback out on the court, there was a much more important message being sent out throughout the match.

For PC’s home opener, both the team and North Florida participated in a “Pink Out” to honor former Blue Hose alumna Kathryn Lois Kleckley (‘08), who was a member of both the PC women’s tennis team and Zeta Tau Alpha sorority on campus. 

A business major during her time at PC and a breast cancer survivor, Kleckley passed away last year at the age of 36 due to natural causes. To honor her legacy, both teams played in pink uniforms to help spread awareness of breast cancer along with the impact Kleckley made throughout her time at PC.

Outside the tennis courts, Kleckley had a passion for all wildlife and travel activities. 

She spent her last few years as a property manager in Hilton Head Island, where her main responsibilities were protecting the wildlife that resided along the southern coastal region of South Carolina. In addition, she loved spending time at the beach whenever she could, traveling to different places, and painting.

As someone who is both a member of Zeta Tau Alpha and a student athlete here at PC, honoring Kleckley’s legacy gives us a good reminder for us to be proud of the life we have each day and to value the opportunity we have been given to be out on the court, mat, or field. The reality of the situation is that we don’t know when all of this will end one day, so it’s important to utilize the opportunities that have been given to us throughout these experiences.

Additionally, honoring Kleckley gives us a chance to reflect inward on ourselves and what we value in life through this powerful moment. All of us can have a major impact in the world and we have a strong responsibility to do so whenever we can.

For Kathryn Lois Kleckley, she displayed these important morals and as a result, she’ll always be remembered as a beloved daughter, sister, niece, cousin, aunt, neighbor, and friend to the many people she impacted throughout her life.

May she rest in peace.