'I need to push through this for Riley'

Abby Steiner's sprint success inspired by her sister's fight with cancer

By Mary Albl for DyeStat

Crouched down with hands firmly placed on the track, Abby Steiner readies her body to spring out of the starting blocks at any given moment. Her emotions, which also feel coiled and ready to fly, are set aside.

The track is where the reigning Girls Ohio State Gatorade Outdoor Track and Field Athlete of the Year is able to express herself. The same can be said for the soccer pitch.

The rising junior from Dublin Coffman OH, who has already committed to the University of Kentucky for both soccer and track, has used the platform of sports to deal with her older sister's battle with cancer. 

"I think sports, where I got to be one on one by myself, and just take any feelings that I had, I was able to take it out on the soccer field, take it out on the track," Abby explained. "It was my way of dealing with it."

'Complete 180'

It was the summer of 2014, and for the Steiner family, it was filled with sports. For Abby the days and weekends were filled with soccer, and for her older twin siblings, Riley and Jack, lacrosse.

"She used to be a big lacrosse player, and my parents got a phone call one day after practice. It was the coach telling them that Riley had passed out," Abby said. "But I didn't really think much of it, because it was a 90-degree day, 5 o'clock. I was like, 'I'm sure it was just heat exhaustion.'" 

But Riley, entering her senior year of high school at Dublin Coffman, passed out again a few weeks later when she was on vacation Michigan. A long, hot day at the lake had produced the same startling outcome. 

On July 8, Mollie Steiner took her daughter Riley to the pediatrician because she was still feeling less than 100 percent. They thought maybe she had come down with mononucleosis. 

Instead, the diagnosis was took everyone's breath away: T-cell Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia. 

"Completely shocking," Mollie explained. "One minute to have this beautiful, athletic, healthy girl about ready to start her senior year, and literally getting a phone call a half an hour later, pack your bags and head to the emergency room because we suspect she has leukemia." 

Riley started chemo within 24 hours and spent eight straight days in the hospital. 

Abby remembers their dad, Dave, calling her and Jack downstairs to tell them the news that night. 

"It was really challenging at first," Abby said. "It was a complete 180 for our family." 

An Outlet

On those fall days of her freshman year, at soccer practice, during the sweat-drenched, dread-worthy sprints, Abby would think of her sister. 

"I would tell myself I need to push through this for Riley because she can't be out on the lacrosse field," Abby said. "I need to take advantage of the opportunities because she can't."

The first eight to 10 months were the roughest for Riley, with some phases of the chemotherapy treatment more aggressive than others. In October, she was back in the hospital for 16 days. She lost her hair. Her healthy weight and muscles began to melt away. 

While not able to attend school during the fall and winter, completing school work online, Riley stayed connected to school through Abby's participation in sports. 

Riley went to some of Abby's soccer games before the weather turned cold. 

Abby helped lead Coffman to the Division I state championship game that year. 

That winter, Abby won the 60-meter and 200-meter indoor state track titles. In the spring, she added another 200 crown and placed runner-up in the 100 at the Ohio state meet. 

"It did help," explained Riley of being able to watch her younger sister. "It allowed me be a part of the school again, and it was so great to see her achieving these awesome things after such a crazy year for our family."

That crazy year ended with Riley gradually able to go back to school in the spring of 2015. She walked the line at graduation.

"I think Abby's success gave us something positive to focus on," Mollie said. "We as a family learned how to put things in perspective. Sports can kind of become all encompassing, unfortunately, and we learned to appreciate it, and also realized that can be taken away in an instant."

A New Outlook 

It's the summer of 2016 and it is has been two years since Riley was diagnosed with cancer. Right now, the rising sophomore at Miami University of Ohio is in remission, and undergoing the Maintenance Phase of her treatment. 

In October, she'll complete her final chemo treatment after nearly two and a half years.

Besides that much anticipated fall date, Riley is also looking forward to August 4. 

A former cross country runner, Riley is training for the GS Energy/Dublin Irish Festival 5K with her mom. It will be her first race since being diagnosed.  

“I'm really excited for that,” Riley said. 

For Abby, this summer has consisted of training, lifting weights and getting ready for her junior year. And finding time to watch the Olympic Trials. 

Abby enjoyed a breakout track season. After earning 2015 first-team All-American honors and being named the Ohio Capital Conference Player of the Year in soccer, she won indoor state track titles in the 60 and 200, setting state records in the process. 

She placed sixth in the 200 (24.15) at New Balance Nationals Indoor. 

During the outdoor season she repeated as the state 200 champion, also won the 100, and anchored the championship 4x200 relay.

Abby earned an invite to Books PR Invitational in Seattle, but instead opted to run at the adidas Boost Boston Games, where she took fourth (11.81) in the 100. 

While the two sisters are on different paths, and self-described as "completely different," they balance each other.

"We are supportive of each other. Whatever we're pursuing at that point in life, we find interest in it," said Riley, whom her mother describes as an "old soul." 

"They might not always hang out, but I'll find them coloring together in Abby's room this summer ... it's the little things, and they have their moments," Mollie explained.

Abby, outgoing and athletically gifted, has learned to handle the spotlight. For the soccer-obsessed teen who started the sport of track in middle school, just to see how she'd stack up, said she never expected to run this fast. Steiner's personal bests are 11.58 for the 100, 23.63 in the 200.

"She started running track two years ago and it's blossomed into something big," Mollie said. "Obviously she's had a lot of success, but she's really learned to appreciate each and every day. Life can change on a dime."

And while Coffman soccer starts back up in less than 30 days, Abby won't have trouble finding any motivation when she's out on the field. 

"She's definitely my role model," Abby said of Riley. "She doesn't skip her workouts, so there's no reason I should skip mine."