Rhylee Poupore

Striking Out Adversity

It’s not the role you play, but how you play it that counts.

If there’s a ball involved, you can expect Rhylee Poupore to be part of it. A gifted athlete, she has excelled at softball, basketball, and soccer throughout her entire middle and high school career. She’s jumped levels in all three sports faster than average, earning a varsity letter and playing in a sectional championship before officially starting high school. And when the school’s volleyball coach invited her to join the team as a junior, she served up an amazing performance as a starter in her first season and became the only athlete in her school to play four sports in one year. It was in the spring of that same academic year that she pitched every inning of every game as the only pitcher on the varsity softball squad. With a lot to prove to herself and everyone else around her, she racked up 134 strikeouts and led her team in securing the title of Section 7 Class C Champions for the school for the first time in more than 15 years. “I stayed healthy and with grit and determination, I managed to lead my team through an extremely successful season,” Rhylee says.

Rhylee’s leadership capabilities don’t just shine on the field; you can see them from the sidelines as well. When a fractured pelvis sustained in the fall of freshman year kept Rhylee on the bench for several big games, she said, “I recognized the Captain band on my arm meant more than being a leader in the active play.” While the diagnosis was hard for her to accept, she refused to let the physical setback damage her spirit or drive. She chose to use the downtime to support and cheer on her teammates more than ever before. And she healed in time to compete alongside her teammates in the sectional championship game.

When Rhylee is not practicing or playing in one of her many sports, she’s busy earning high marks in her many honors and college-level courses, serving as an officer of her class, or helping put together the student yearbook. You can also find Rhylee raising money for the United Way, singing carols to residents of local nursing homes, or washing ambulances and fire engines to help support her town’s EMS and fire department services. “My parents instilled in me to always give 110% in everything I do,” she says. And that’s exactly what she does. By giving her all, rising to the challenges in front of her, and giving back wherever and however she can, Rhylee sets the example of what it means to be a true champion, both on and off the field.