Karlie Kisha is not one who enjoys talking about herself, but she’s getting used to it.
She’s been doing interviews regularly for the last two months because she has a story that many people want to hear. Kisha, 28, is a member of the United States National Field Hockey team that will compete in the 2024 Paris Olympics, so that alone has been drawing attention to her. The team’s first game is scheduled for July 27 against Argentina.
But before she was selected to be an Olympian, on May 6, Kisha was diagnosed with papillary thyroid cancer. She had surgery to remove the thyroid and lymph nodes on May 17, when the team was competing in the FIH Pro League in Antwerp, Belgium.
Everything is fine now. She has gone through treatments and a body scan earlier this week that revealed no issues. The next checkup is in three months. For the time being, she can focus solely on the Olympics – and, of course, those reporters who want interviews.
“It’s been a little crazy,” she said. “I’m one to normally fly under the radar, put my head down and put in all the work behind the scenes. It’s crazy how many interviews and how many questions I’ve been getting about it. I guess it’s inspiring what I’ve been able to do, but it’s been a wild ride and a wild journey.”
She counts at least 10 interviews, with more likely to come as the United Eagles ship off to Ireland next week before moving on to Paris at the end of the month.
Kisha is a former star athlete at Hamburg (Pa.) High School and the University of Connecticut, where she was on two NCAA national championship teams. A four-year veteran of the national team, she considered teaching after receiving her degree in Chemistry. And in a different way, she does teach: Kisha coaches as an assistant at Villanova University, and at this point, sees herself as a coach for the rest of her life.
Life gave her something else to think about at the end of April, when she had an unrelated benign lump removed. During a routine check, a lump on the thyroid was found. She called Josh, her husband of nearly three years and best friend for at least 10 years, and met him in the parking lot at his job. They ran the gamut of emotions.
Josh works as an electrical engineer in the Charlotte, N.C. area, where the United Eagles train.
“It was pretty tough, especially in the beginning, before I had a plan and knew what thyroid cancer was, and what that would look like for me returning to play,” she said. “It was heartbreaking. I had no idea what was next for me, especially with the Olympics right around the corner.
“It was pretty devastating, to be honest.”
Kisha, formerly Karlie Heistand, said that she has no family history of cancer. Papillary thyroid cancer is one of the most common thyroid cancers – and fortunately, responds extremely well to treatment. Karlie was up and running in a matter of weeks after the surgery.
Because the USWNT was playing in the Pro League in Belgium at the time that Kisha had her surgery, rumors about the reasons for her absence were circulating. The team put out a short press release to spare her telling the story over and over.
She returned to the team as a spectator within a week in Belgium. Hugs all around.
“When I first met everyone in Belgium, there was a lot of talk and a lot of different rumors coming out about what happened to me,” she said. “It was a pretty gnarly scar. We decided to put out a statement so that everyone’s questions were answered and it helped me so that I don’t have to tell every single person that’s asking.
“It really has shown that sport is bigger than just sport. All of us individuals have our own story. We all have our own struggles. Even though what I’m going through is pretty crazy, I see a lot of people going through stuff. It puts a lot of perspective on my life and other people’s lives.”
Fortunately, the most important part of her support system is right there in Charlotte, where they moved to when Karlie relocated there for USWNT training. Josh, Karlie’s parents (Cliff and Diane Heistand) and sister (Rayell) have been the biggest sources of support. It also helps to have USA Field Hockey behind you.
“My husband is the biggest supporter,” she said. “He’s been through everything, not only this cancer, but being down here (Charlotte) and being a part of this process. We’ve been together for more than a decade now. He’s been to so many of my games, flying all over the world to watch and support me.”
How’s this for a happy ending? The stars wound up aligning for the Kishas in a remarkable way. Karlie and Josh have a lot to celebrate in the last full week of July: her health, their third anniversary on July 24, and the Olympics, which start a few days later. They will do so in Paris, which has been known to host a few love stories over the years.
“It’s sunk in that she’s good to go and we’ll be able to figure that out in the future,” Josh said. “The next checkup is in the three-month range. Right now, doing good.”
Karlie said that she is getting better at opening up about her story as time moves on.
“I enjoy talking about how much I love and appreciate my teammates and how proud I am to be a part of this team and how far we’ve come in the last four years,” she said. “That’s something I will cherish forever.
“I enjoy being able to talk about it at this point. It’s nice to be able to feel comfortable talking about it and I don’t really keep anything inside.”
Tim Shoemaker is a freelance writer.
