In today’s episode of This Hits Different, Shelby Cassesse tells the story of Mary Grace Gordon of Sewickley Academy, who made the most out of an injury be discovering a love of fashion.
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For Mary Grace Gordon, the future was set in stone, even as a sophomore at Sewickley Academy.
“Because my siblings are both college athletes, that was just kind of the route I expected myself to take,” Mary says.
But life can often have other plans, as it did for Mary Grace during a lacrosse playoff game that year.
“I tore my ACL and meniscus in that game,” she says. “I was completely heartbroken.”
She tore her ACL, just as conversations with colleges were heating up.
“It was one of those moments where I was like, oh my gosh, my life is over,” she recalls. “I have to reevaluate everything.”
At the beginning of her recovery, all of the downtime seemed like worst case scenario. But it soon led to an old hobby collecting dust in the back of her mind.
“I definitely was able to pursue fashion more after I was injured,” she says. “It sort of became an outlet, and I would say a coping mechanism. When I was in my room, on crutches, bedridden, not able to do anything… I had a sewing machine in my room and was working on projects.”
Years earlier, Mary Grace chose the demands of lacrosse over her interests in fashion. Recovery from her injury led her to the sewing machine. Recently, she asked her classmates for help with her next big project.
“I announced that I was going to keep a box outside of the senior school, so that when students would leave, they could take off their disposable masks and put it in the box instead of the trash cans,” Mary says.
She collected and sanitized dozens of masks to design and create a dress, tapping into her interest, not just in fashion, but sustainable fashion.
“It’s always just something that I’ve looked at in a different way, both fashion and trash, and how you can combine the two,” she says. “I would say that it solves more than one global issue.”
Mary Grace needed a second surgery in the fall, but plans to rejoin the lacrosse team this season. She also has since tried new sports like cheer and cross country, but couldn't ignore her her passion outside of sports.
Now a senior, she'll attend the Savannah College for Art and Design this fall. Finding a rare fit at an arts school that offers both her major and a lacrosse program.
A path that may not have been clear when she got hurt two years ago, but one that she wouldn't change.
“I had been such a planner for all of my life,” she says. “Looking way too far into the future. It was a sign to slow down. If I was going to college for just lacrosse, I know that I would miss out on a huge aspect of my life and maybe regret it in the future.
“I think my injury played a huge role in that.”