Paying tribute – Holly O’Dell
Senior track and field athlete Holly O'Dell proudly shows the tattoo she got in tribute to her grandmother, Vicki Robertson, who died in the tornado.
Photo by Todd Shurtleff
always thought about getting a tattoo and she finally found the inspiration to get one.
The Joplin High School basketball and track and field standout waited for her 18th birthday to pay tribute to her grandmother Vicki Robertson, 66, who perished from injuries sustained in the EF-5 tornado last year.
“When I was little and I was down about something, she always picked me up,” O’Dell said. “She gave me candy or did something nice to make me happy.”
To honor her, O’Dell had a tattoo etched on her left shoulder with Robertson’s birth date, the day she died, a picture and a pair of red ballet slippers.
O’Dell never knew, but her grandmother practiced ballet as a youth.
“They were red because red stands for love,” she said. “She was a very strong woman. I hope to be like her someday. She always stepped up to the plate.”
O'Dell prepares to pole vault during a recent practice atJunge Field.
Photo by Todd Shurtleff
O’Dell shows her grandmother’s strength already both as an athlete and volunteer. She finished second in the Ozark Conference pole vault at 10-0 behind teammate Mariah Sanders (10-6).
Since the tornado, O’Dell signed up with army services to help clean up the debris and rubble left behind.
“It’s pretty memorable to help other people in a time of need,” O’Dell said. “To see them smile for just a second while they pick up their lives made me feel good. It’s amazing that they can smile through all that.”
She plans to attend college in Springfield, Mo., but won’t forget her senior year or classmates.
“It’s exciting but at the same time I don’t want to leave,” she said. “It’s kind of sad to leave all my friends and all the things we’ve been through. At the same time I’m excited to share the story of our town with other people.”
