LAFAYETTE — Former Lafayette Jeff goalkeeper Jaycee Vredenburgh found her passion in helping others.
Vredenburgh found her athletic identity competing in unified track after being forced to retire from playing soccer. She sustained three concussions in her last two seasons.
A knee to the head caused Vredenburgh's third concussion. She was attempting to eliminate a run and goal scoring opportunity against Lebanon on Aug. 29, 2024.
"I'm still having trouble with lighting," Vredenburgh said. "I get really dizzy in bright settings and sometimes its hard to eat food."
Vredenburgh's identity went beyond the pitch. She's part of Lafayette Jeff's school choir and was accepted into the Greater Lafayette Career Academy pre-nursing program before the spring semester.
Now she's dived head first more into her commitment as a unified track athlete after trying the sport as a freshman last spring.
“It was really helped build relationships with special needs and showed me how judgy people can be towards kids who are different," Vredenburgh said.
Vredenburgh said she's using the connections she's built at the Greater Lafayette Career Academy and her experience as an athlete to create tighter bonds as she gears up for the unified track season this month.
"Getting to know these kids has changed my perspective and it has showed me that opinions don’t matter," Vredenburg said. "These kids are the sweetest most outgoing kids ever.”
Ethan Hanson is the sports reporter for the Journal & Courier in Lafayette. He can be reached at ehanson@jconline.com, on Twitter at EthanAHanson and Instagram at ethan_a_hanson.
This article originally appeared on Lafayette Journal & Courier: Lafayette Jeff student Jaycee Vredenburgh soccer to unified track
