Cal Hi sports aired senior Kelli Sum and sister sophomore Steffanie on the Cal Hi sports show "Spirt of Achievement" on Jan. 3
For two sisters, basketball is more than a game— it’s a way of life that helped senior Kelli Sum and sophomore Stephanie Sum cope with the tragedy of their mother’s death three years ago, due to cancer.
After their devasting loss, the Sum sisters played basketball with their Asian league team, the Foster City Flyers.
"[Playing on the Foster City Flyers] was a binding factor for us siblings since everyone on the team was kind of like family and it helped us remember our mom because she always supported us in basketball," Steffanie said.
"Basketball helped me get some anger out which was good," Kelli said. "Until I started drawing fouls."
The local Cal Hi Sports channel recognized this inspiring story and arranged for a interview and footage of the Sum sisters and the MVHS team. On Dec. 29, the Cal Hi sports crew arrived at the girls’ practice in the field house to interview the Sum sisters.
"We knew it was coming, but didn’t know what type of questions they were going to ask. We also hadn’t talked about our mom’s death in a long time," Kelli said.
During this interview, the Sum sisters let out all their emotions onto the big screen in hopes of inspiring other kids about overcoming tough times.
"It was the first time I told someone out loud how I felt, and hopefully I can show other kids to cherish what they have," Steffanie said.
According to Kelli, one of the most interesting and compelling questions the Cal Hi Sports interviewer asked her was "Did you ever feel you had to be a mom to Steff?"
"In a way yes, but I was more like a guardian watching out for her," Kelli said. The emotional yet inspiring interviews lasted around 20 minutes and then the Cal Hi Sports crew filmed some shots of the MVHS girls’ practice. Both the sisters agreed that enduring hardship required someone to talk to and rely on.
"You have to take it one step at a time for anyone who has a hardship," Kelli said. "You’ve got to have some sort of way to release what’s going on inside… and mine was basketball."
