But in high school, Whitmore wondered if she had the mental stamina to keep going.
“I started to have this feeling of, am I not supposed to be here? said Whitmore. “Don’t I belong here? People keep asking me why I’m here, people wondering, strangers trying to push me down another path. It started to bother me. »
Loneliness also became a factor. Always the only girl, the most remarkable, the most aberrant. It became emotionally draining, she said.
“You just want to know what it’s like to fit in,” Whitmore said.
Unable to secure a baseball scholarship, she entered a softball recruiting showcase despite having limited experience in the game. Her athleticism and baseball instincts proved enough to attract a flood of offers from coaches who thought that in time, they could turn her into a star.
She used to cringe at the thought of switching to softball. “It just wasn’t what I wanted to do,” Whitmore said. “The high school softball team wanted me to play for them. To be honest, that’s like telling me to go play football. In my head, it’s a totally different sport.
Still, college softball seemed more appealing as Whitmore felt the spotlight might not have been as focused on her.
“I thought if I’m going to play on a team full of girls, I’m going to know that feeling of not being the one everyone looks up to or wants to change,” Whitmore said. “When I walked on a softball field, I was like, ‘OK, cool, I’m finally part of them. « »
