Homecoming week at St. Ambrose is filled with fun, from games and pep-rallies all the way to the yearly football game. For one member of the 2023-24 basketball team, however, this weekend crushed his spirit.
Kieran Farrell, a junior at the time, says, “I went up to block my teammate and he pumpfaked. I jumped, tried to block him, and I ended up flipping over him. I put my arms out and they both just snapped.”
Farrell’s junior season was over. Nearly no one comes back from an injury like this to one arm, so when doctors told Farrell that it was time to look for a career outside of basketball, Farrell proclaimed, “It was definitely heartbreaking”.
Everyday activities such as bathing, eating, and going to class became a problem for Farrell. When classroom doors were closed, Kieran wasn’t able to get in. He wasn’t able to pull a door open.
However, teammate Grant Mason saw things in a different light for Kieran. Farrell became a student assistant for the team that season. As Mason recalls, “We had our longest winning streak with him as a coach.”
Fast forward to senior year, Farrell has been able to shoot, dribble, and dunk the ball months ahead of schedule. He says, “We did a preseason scrimmage. I was standing with Coach, and I got a little emotional. I was like damn, I’m really back. It just didn’t feel real.”
Mason also remarked, “Honestly he beat the odds, and most people wouldn’t come back from that.”
Now, as the senior’s season comes to end, Farrell is soaking up some of the last months he has with different teammates. He is expected to return for a fifth season next year, and plans to help lead the Bees back to success.
