Fanatic Cavalier Essay Contest Winning Essay - John Foster

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Where do I begin? I could go back as far as my childhood years as to why I am a passionate UVA fan, but it would take more than a 1,000 word essay. I have been a loyal UVA fan since the Terry Holland and George Welsh era. The biggest reason I am a UVA fan really has nothing to do with either basketball, football or any other athletic program. It has to do with the fact that the University of Virginia Medical Center and the grace of God saved my wife’s life over ten years ago. This made me even more of a fan towards the University. When my wife became sick from a botched surgery here in Lynchburg, the only hope we had was prayer and the medical center at UVA. There was a very good chance I was going to be raising my 3 year old daughter and 6 week old son by myself at that time. The surgery was a success and today I have been blessed to have my wife and my children their mother. After the surgery I went to a local tattoo shop and had the V and Cross Sabers tattooed to my right shoulder as a reminder what the medical center did not only for me but my wife and children as well. As my children grew older I became involved in youth athletics and attended many Virginia football games. I became a football coach on the youth level and I have been doing so for over ten years now. And I sport around that tattoo every year by wearing my sleeveless muscle shirts ; )