“One Tribe, One Love” has never meant more to the W&M community. Recently, we lost one of our classmates, Troy Pelish, and the outpour of support on Facebook was phenomenal. At the same time, nothing has demonstrated our collective love and support for one another more than the StoweStrong campaign, launched by the College’s soccer teams and friends of Ian Stowe.
I met Ian Stowe the summer after my sophomore year. I was working in Williamsburg with another member of the soccer team, Ryan Snyder, selling advertising space in the directories and planners for a company called University Directories. It wasn’t the most fulfilling internship, and often in the evenings we would engage in other activities to entertain ourselves. One night, I ventured over to the soccer house (where Ryan lived) to hang out with him and some of the guys.
Now, I’m from Richmond, Midlothian to be specific. My little brother has played soccer all his life and so has my dad. They both still play at an indoor complex in Midlothian, and my dad has coached soccer for years. Since I have come to college, my dad had been pestering me about this kid named Ian. Apparently, my dad knew his dad (they played indoor soccer together) and Ian’s little brother and I had played together on a team that my dad coached way back when I was five (I only played soccer for a season or two; I was much better at cartwheeling around the field than kicking the ball). So my dad was determined for me to meet Ian, if only so that he could feel he knew one of my friends at school. That night, I walked in the house and immediately was introduced to Ian. Instead of playing it cool, I started freaking out- telling him the whole story and insisting on my need to call my dad and tell him the news. You would have thought he’d proposed instead of merely introduced himself. But Ian’s not the type of guy to make fun; he laughed and (politely) ignored my spaz attack, and we went on with the night. From there on out, Ian was always a friend.
Ian Stowe came to the College in 2007. As a member of the men’s soccer team, he played in 75 games and helped lead the team to two NCAA Tournaments. Ian’s senior year, the Tribe won the CAA Championship game and appeared in the Sweet 16 round of the NCAA Tournament. A member of the (in)famous “soccer house,” Ian was beloved by many. His close friend and teammate, Peter Christmas, calls Ian “a pretty rare friend. It’s one thing for someone to do a favor for you here or there, but Ian’s the type of guy that will always be there for you.”
In January of 2012, Ian was diagnosed with a brain tumor determined to be a type of cancer called germinoma. Because of it’s location, the tumor proved to be too dangerous to operate. Ian was moved from Fairfax Innova Hospital in Northern Virginia to MCV in Richmond, where he will receive chemotherapy and radiation treatments in the hope of shrinking and eventually eradicating the tumor. His close friend, Chris Perez, says of Ian and the situation, “Trying times like these speak volumes about a person’s character. Throughout this entire process Ian has displayed perseverance and mental fortitude that is nothing short of admirable. His ability to keep his spirits high and his unrelenting positive disposition have been an inspiration, and I have no doubts that he will one day be able to proudly say that he beat cancer.”
The outpouring of support has been incredible. Many of Ian’s close friends and former teammates organized and launched a campaign to provide emotional and financial support for Ian’s family, as well as to help “increase the number of people who can proudly walk out of hospitals, bald heads held high, knowing that they have beaten cancer.” Already, the organization has raised funds by selling #StoweStrong t-shirts and by hosting a fundraising event called StoweOut last weekend. In the upcoming months, further fundraising events include an exhibition match between William and Mary Men’s Soccer and the Richmond Kickers on March 23 and participation in the Race for Hope DC 5K by a #StoweStrong team on May 6.
To learn more about Ian, his story, his fight, and how you can help, visit www.stowestrong.com, like the Facebook page #Stowestrong, and follow them on Twitter @stowestrong.
This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at WM chapter.