There’s strength — or perhaps more accurately in Jada Askew’s case, power — and then there’s strength in the face of adversity.
Injuries, personal turmoil and isolation wreaked all the havoc they possibly could during Askew’s first two years at Central Alabama Community College. It would have been perfectly understandable for her to limp through her first full season playing softball for the Trojans.
kAms6DA:E6 92G:?8 366? :? 2 H2=<:?8 3@@E ;FDE @?6 J62C AC:@C[ D96 5:5 ?@E]k^Am
kAmpD<6H A@DE65 2 52KK=:?8 ]cba @?\32D6 A6C46?E286 :? a_a`] w6C aa 9@>6 CF?D =@@< =:<6 2 EJA@ FA@? 7:CDE 8=2?46 2E rprr’D A=2J6C DE2E:DE:4D A286— ?@ @E96C %C@;2? 9:E >@C6 E92? D:I]k^Am
kAmu@C 96C 677@CED[ D96 H2D ?2>65 2 7:CDE\E62> }2E:@?2= yF?:@C r@==686 pE9=6E:4 pDD@4:2E:@? p==\p>6C:42?] xE >2C<65 96C :? 2 >@C6 @77:4:2= 42A24:EJ 2D @?6 @7 E96 >@DE 762C65 32ED 24C@DD E96 4@F?ECJ 2E E96 4@>>F?:EJ @C ;F?:@C 4@==686 =6G6=]k^Am
kAmpD<6H’D a_a` D62D@? :D @?6 @7 EC:F>A9 2?5 E96 23:=:EJ E@ @G6C4@>6 EC6>6?5@FD @3DE24=6D[ 2?5 2=E9@F89 D96’D >@G:?8 @? E@ q:C>:?892> $@FE96C? E@ 4@?E:?F6 96C 2E9=6E:4 2?5 24256>:4 42C66C[ D96 =67E 2? @3G:@FD >2C< @? rprr’D AC@8C2>]k^Am
kAm“x E9:?< D96 >2J 92G6 366? E96 =J?49A:? @7 E96 H9@=6 E9:?8[” rprr 2DD:DE2?E 4@249 $E6G6 {6H:D D2:5] “#:89E E96C6 :? E96 >:55=6 @7 E96 @C56C[ 2=H2JD D>:=:?8] p=H2JD A@D:E:G6 H96? E9:?8D H6C6?’E 8@:?8 A@D:E:G6]”k^Am
kAmpD<6H EC2?D76CC65 :?E@ rprr 7C@> r@=F>3FD $E2E6 :? y2?F2CJ a_a_ AC:@C E@ 96C 7:CDE 4@==68:2E6 D@7E32== D62D@?]k^Am
kAmw2G:?8 DFDE2:?65 2 =@H6C\3@5J :?;FCJ[ D96 H2D :? 2 H2=<:?8 3@@E 2?5 >:DD65 >F49 @7 E96 7:CDE A2CE @7 E96 %C@;2?D’ D62D@?]k^Am
kAm$96 7:?2==J 8@E 324< @? E96 7:6=5 7@C 7:G6 82>6D] %96? D96 8@E D:4< 2?5 925 E@ D:E @FE]k^Am
kAm%96? E96 r~'xs\`h A2?56>:4 9:E 2?5 E96 D62D@? H2D 42?46=65]k^Am
kAm“x ;FDE 925 E@ H@C< 92C5[” pD<6H D2:5] k^Am
kAm|2<:?8 2 5@C>:E@CJ @7 96C =@42= 32EE:?8 4286D[ pD<6H D6E E@ H@C< @? 56G6=@A:?8 96C D<:==D 2D 2 9:EE6C[ <?@H:?8 D96 H2D 369:?5 :? E6C>D @7 56G6=@A>6?E 5F6 E@ 96C :?;FCJ] w6C 72E96C DA6?E >2?J 9@FCD A:E49:?8 E@ 96C]k^Am
kAm(96? 96 H2D?’E 2G2:=23=6[ D96’5 9:E H2=?FED :? 96C 324<J2C5 E@ 86E 96C AC24E:46 :?] %96 D>2==6C AC@;64E:=6 96=A65 56G6=@A 96C 23:=:EJ E@ >2<6 4@?E24E]k^Am
kAm$96’== DE:== 9:E 3F4<6ED 7F== @7 E96 E@F89 8C66? D665 A@5D E@ EC2:? 2E 9@>6]k^Am
kAm“p7E6C E92E[ >J DH:?8 ;FDE DE2CE65 ?2EFC2==J 4@>:?8 324< E@ >6[ =:<6 :E H2D :? 9:89 D49@@=[” pD<6H D2:5] “x ;FDE 925 E@ H@C< 92C5]”k^Am
kAm%H@ >2:? H62<?6DD6D DE@@5 @FE 7@C E96 D=F886C AC:@C E@ E96 D62D@? H:E9 rprri :?D:56 A:E496D 2?5 A=2E6 5:D4:A=:?6]k^Am
kAm{6H:D 255C6DD65 E96 7:CDE 4@?46C? H:E9 2? 25;FDE>6?E E@ 96C DE2?46[ >@G:?8 96C =67E 7@@E 324< 2? :?49 @C D@ E@ D66 E96 32== 36EE6C[ 2?5 2 5C:== E92E H@C<65 E96 :?D:56 A2CE @7 E96 A=2E6]k^Am
kAm“xE H2D ;FDE 23@FE 86EE:?8 3@E9 6J6D @? E96 A:E49 2 =:EE=6 3:E 62C=:6C[” {6H:D D2:5] “~A6?:?8 96C DE2?46 FA ;FDE D=:89E=J] xE’D C62==J ?@E @FC H2J E@[ 7F?52>6?E2==J[ ;FDE E9C@H E96 323J @FE H:E9 E96 32E9H2E6C 2?5 DE2CE @G6C] tDA64:2==J D@>63@5J E92E’D 9:EE:?8 :? E96 >:55=6 @7 E96 =:?6FA[ E96J’C6 E96C6 7@C 2 C62D@? 2?5 H92E E96J’G6 5@?6 2== E96:C =:76 :D H@C<:?8 7@C E96>]”k^Am
kAm%96 D64@?5 4@?46C? H2D 2? :DDF6 @7 >6?E2=:EJ]k^Am
kAmpD pD<6H 3682? =@7E:?8 D@7E32==D @G6C @FE7:6=5 76?46D[ A:E496CD 3682? 2G@:5:?8 96C 32E 6?E:C6=J] $96 925 AC@3=6>D DE2J:?8 E@@ 288C6DD:G6[ 492D:?8 A:E496D @FED:56 E96 DEC:<6 K@?6 62C=J @?]k^Am
kAm$96 2=D@ DECF88=65 H:E9 CF??6CD :? D4@C:?8 A@D:E:@?[ 96C #qx E@E2=D =24<:?8]k^Am
kAmpD<6H EFC?65 :E 2C@F?5 2?5 C646:G65 b` 7C66 A2DD6D @G6C E96 4@FCD6 @7 E96 D62D@?[ D64@?5 @? rprr’D E62>] w6C 7:?2= #qx E2==J H2D fe[ H9:49 =65 E96 %C@;2?D]k^Am
kAmxE H2D 2 >2EE6C @7 4=62C:?8 96C 9625] q:886C E9:?8D E92? D@7E32== H6C6 @? 96C >:?5]k^Am
kAm“(6 H6?E E9C@F89 2 C@F89 E:>6 2D 2 E62> :? 86?6C2=[ 3FE E96? A6CD@?2==J[ x 925 DEF77 8@:?8 @? E92E x H2D =6EE:?8 27764E >6 :? D@7E32==[” pD<6H D2:5] “~?46 x DE2CE65 E@ =6E 2== E92E 8@[ x ;FDE 925 2 4=62C >:?5 :? E96 82>6 2?5 x DE2CE65 5@:?8 H6==]”k^Am
kAmsFC:?8 E96 D62D@?[ pD<6H’D 8C2?5>@E96C 42F89E 4@C@?2G:CFD 2?5 925 E@ 36 9@DA:E2=:K65] $96 H2D AFE @? 2 G6?E:=2E@C[ E96? 42F89E A?6F>@?:2]k^Am
kAm%96 DEC6DD @7 A@DD:3=J =@D:?8 2 72>:=J >6>36C H6:8965 962G:=J @? E96 %C@;2?D’ J@F?8 DE2C] w6C 72>:=J 4@F=5?’E G:D:E 2D =@42= 9@DA:E2=D H@C<65 E@ DE@A E96 DAC625 @7 E96 A2?56>:4]k^Am
kAm“(6 5:5?’E 86E E@ D66 96C @C 2?JE9:?8[ 2?5 D96 8@E AC6EEJ[ AC6EEJ 325[” pD<6H D2:5] “x’> 2 7:C> 36=:6G6C :? v@5[ 2?5 H6 AC2J65 2?5 AC2J65] $96 DE2CE65 E@ D=@H=J 86E 36EE6C]”k^Am
kAm$E:==[ 2D H:E9 96C :?;FCJ 2 J62C 62C=:6C @C E96 :D@=2E:@? 6IA6C:6?465 5FC:?8 E96 a_a_ @77D62D@?[ pD<6H AFE 96C 9625 5@H? 2?5 H6?E E@ H@C<]k^Am
kAmw6C 32E[ 4@>3:?65 H:E9 E9@D6 @7 96C E62>>2E6D[ 96=A65 E96 %C@;2?D C6249 E96 }yrpp r@==686 (@C=5 $6C:6D 27E6C 2 cb\H:? D62D@?]k^Am
kAmpD<6H’D 8C2?5>@E96C >256 2 7F== C64@G6CJ] $96 6G6? >256 :E @FE E@ 2 82>6]k^Am
kAm“WpD<6HX 5:5 2 8C62E ;@3 :? 6G6CJE9:?8 H6 2D<65 96C E@ 5@[ 2?5 :E D9@H65 FA :? 96C AC@5F4E:@? ?F>36CD[” rprr D@7E32== 9625 4@249 vC68 $9:G6CD D2:5] “$96 H@F=5 86E 4@=5 7@C 2 =:EE=6 H9:=6[ 3FE E96? D96 H@F=5 962E C:89E 324< FA]”k^Am
kAmpD<6H 244@F?E65 7@C bh A6C46?E @7 rprr’D 9@>6 CF? AC@5F4E:@? :? a_a`] $96 49@D6 q:C>:?892> $@FE96C? 2D 96C ?6IE 56DE:?2E:@? 5F6 E@ E96 D>2==\E@H? 766= @7 E96 s\xxx]k^Am
kAmxE’D D276 E@ D2J D96’== 36 23=6 E@ 92?5=6 2?J 25G6CD:EJ E92E 4@>6D H:E9 E96 >@G6]k^Am