The photographer, a life long sports fan, reflects on the deeper significance of sports rivalry beyond winning or losing. Even in sports rivalries, it’s the relationships, not just the games, that stir her passion, culminating in a sentiment that, regardless of the outcome, she wins through her connections with both teams.

A lifelong Tar Heel, I’ve surprisingly developed affection for the East Carolina Pirates, influenced by work covering their athletics. Through photographing ECU’s various sports as a stand-in for my mentor, I’ve grown to admire their welcoming and impressive D1 spirit and eagerly anticipate future opportunities.

The writer expresses a deep love for sports, recounting personal and family experiences that fostered this passion, from watching Braves games to emulating tennis greats. This love influenced their career in photography, capturing athletes’ moments, allowing them to see themselves heroically and preserve memories.