Before 2008, Unionville High School graduate Kate Barber had already established herself as a world-class athlete and the face of United States Field Hockey. Had her athletic career ended then – and it nearly did – she still would have had plenty of things to be proud about.

But in 2008, her athletic accomplishments became even more astounding when she captained the United States Field Hockey team to a stunning spot in the 2008 Summer Olympics. The Americans did not end up medaling in Beijing, China, but just getting there was a terrific accomplishment for a team that has not traditionally been a major player in the world’s field hockey stage. And it was, perhaps, even more significant for Barber, who briefly retired after the U.S. failed to qualify for the Summer Games in 2004 after also just missing the cut in 2000. “I came to grips,” Barber told the Daily Local News two years ago, “that maybe I’m not an Olympian.”

But it turned out she was an Olympian – and a lot of other things, too. Barber, a West Chester native, was a natural athlete growing up, learning how to swim at the age of 2 and starring on the Little League diamond against the boys. She began playing field hockey in middle school only because girls’ soccer wasn’t offered at the time and turned into a standout in the sport. After graduating from Unionville, she led the University of North Carolina to three straight national championships from 1995-97, while being named first team All-America in each of those seasons.

Barber began playing for the United States Women’s National Team right out of college, and enjoyed a memorable debut, scoring two goals to begin what would soon be a prosperous career. Often playing through injuries that included a broken jaw, a broken nose and dislocated fingers, Barber played 11 years at the top level, appearing in over 200 international competitions, earning three Pan American Games silver medals and playing on the three U.S. World Cup teams. She was honored with the USA Field Hockey Female Athlete of the Year five times.

And yet, by her lofty standards, it all would have been a major disappointment had she never been able to get to the Olympics. She decided to retire in 2004 because, as her sister Mary said, “She was scared of being heartbroken again” due to the pain of failing to qualify. But that fear soon morphed into a fierce determination.

Back from retirement, and years before the 2008 Summer Games, Barber went to the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania and whispered to her dying mother that she would be an Olympian. Shortly after that, Barbara Oakes Barber died of lung cancer. But when the Americans clinched their Olympic berth with a 3-1 win over Belgium in the qualifying rounds, Kate felt great pride that she was finally able to realize her ultimate dream – and keep a promise to her No. 1 fan.

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