Kendall Burton has an inspiring story that all high school athletes need to hear.
The spunky 22-year-old who starred in softball at
Ridge Point (Missouri City, Texas) overcame a birth defect that led to 23 surgeries to her face, constant teasing growing up and later a stroke that left her with no cognitive skills to become a standout outfielder for the University of Georgia.
Her love of the game and being on a team kept her going, and her sense of purpose, perspective and humor pushed her through.
"It's not about the destination, it's about the journey," is her favorite quote.
And what a journey.
Burton, who was raised in the Houston suburb of Missouri City, was a three-year starter at Ridge Point and a three-time all-district player. She hit .554 with 41 runs, 58 hits, 40 RBIs and 23 stolen bases as a senior to earn All-State honors. For her prep career she hit .401, stole 65 bases and drove in a school-record 107 runs.
She went on to play at the University of Texas at San Antonio, spent a fall at Oklahoma State, before arriving in Athens, Ga., where she reached her dream of playing in the College World Series with the Bulldogs.
As good as her play was on the field, her off-the-field courage and resiliency is beyond inspiring.
"Softball put me sort of in this bubble," she said. "I was having two surgeries a year on my face so naturally I had some insecurities. I didn't look like the rest of the girls. But softball made me feel beautiful. It was uplifting. It gave me hope and drove me."
Kendall Burton overcame birth defect, more than 23 surgeries and a stroke to become a college softball standout.
Photo courtesy of Madi Cook
Burton shares her entire story with MaxPreps host Nikki B. during the 27th episode of the podcast "Play like a Girl."
The
upbeat former collegiate athlete from Northern California is building
confidence in females who play high school sports by offering vital life
skills in order to enhance their athletic careers, and
overall lives. Her guests are uplifting and in many cases,
inspirational. Burton's tale tops them all.
THE TOUGHEST OUT: Kendall Burton's new websiteIn her weekly podcasts, Nikki B. brings in
expert guests to discuss a plethora of topics, ranging from and dealing
with teammate drama to peer pressure to social media to relationships
to inappropriate coaches.
A
winner on the Golf Channel's "Shotmakers," Nikki B. is a former captain of the
Sacramento State golf team. She is a leader in the fields of blogging, social media, marketing, networking and branding.
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In her final season at Georgia in 2018, Kendall Burton hit .363 in 61 games with 61 hits.
Photo courtesy of Greg Poole
