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Trey Love/All American Imaging
One of Christy Flournoy's teammates plays in Mobile.

Teammate Loses Eyesight
But Players Look Out For
Her Motivation

flournoy's doctors
are looking for answers

By Alex Welch, USTA Southern intern

The Alabama 3.5 women’s team traveled from Birmingham to Mobile ready to play, but a special member of their squad did not join them on this journey. Team captain Kim Grumley explained her group’s recent struggle, and the adversity they will have to overcome at the 2012 USTA League Southern Section Championships.

Christy Flournoy, friend, coach and overall motivator of this team, always travels with them to every tournament. She made plans and took off work to come to the Championships here, but now, unfortunately, she will be cheering on from back home.

“About three weeks ago she started going blind in her left eye. She thought she could still come to sectionals, but they kept saying, ‘We don’t know what’s wrong with you,’ and it’s getting progressively worse,” said Grumley. Now Flournoy is starting to lose vision in her left eye as well, and doctors have yet to determine the cause of the problem.

Grumley, Flournoy and the rest of the 3.5 team began playing tennis together four years ago, but Flournoy started playing 4.0 after the State Championships last year. “She’s kind of been like an honorary coach the whole time. She’s been texting us, keeping us motivated. We should be motivating her,” Grumley said with a smile, “But she’s motivating us.”

Motivation will be a word you constantly here from these players. While Flournoy sends her inspirational boosts from her phone back home, Grumley and her crew are sending it right back. “She sends us a text everyday saying we better do this, if not for us for her.”

It’s never an easy decision to leave a vital member of your group behind, but Flournoy urged the team to continue competing. “She’s such a part of us because we all started out together. It was a hard decision if we even wanted to come at all,” said Grumley. “We didn’t want to leave her knowing she’s in such poor health.”

Despite everything that has transpired, the Alabama 3.5 women’s champs are here and prepared to do whatever they can to win this one for their friend back home. Grumley ended by saying, “We’re doing it for Christy.” Even though Flournoy won’t be watching from the behind the fence, her resounding support can still be felt from miles away.

 Team

 Alabama Women’s 3.5

 Home Courts

 Birmingham

 Captain

 Kim Grumley