2008 Woodie Awards
IN THE CARDS: Tiarra Garrow
Athlete excelling at two different sports
Ryan Hayner
Issue date: 9/28/07 Section: Sports
Originally published: 9/27/07 at 9:53 PM EST
Last update: 9/27/07 at 9:52 PM EST
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Tiarra Garrow wasn't sure she could win.
After dropping a tie-breaker for the first set against Brockport's Kristen Hemingway, she was trailing in the second and doubting her chances.
She fought back and won the set, capping off the victory by winning two straight sets.
"My coaches are really good. They were by my side the whole time pushing me and giving me lots of encouragement to go on so I ended up pulling through," she said.
Pulling through tough times is nothing new for the home-grown, dual-sport Plattsburgh State sophomore. She was raised in Plattsburgh until she was six, but her parents' heroin addiction caused her to be moved to nearby Morrisonville to live with her uncle Edward Garrow and grandmother Bea Garrow.
After her mother and father split up, she said her mother moved in with another man and despite the birth of her sister, Taylor Spooner, the drug problems continued.
In 2002 her father died from a drug overdose.
Sports became her salvation.
"I don't know where I'd be without sports," Garrow said. "A lot of times when all the stress is going on, it's like a stress reliever. It's like a healthy stress reliever."
While sports helped her deal with life, her family has been just as important.
She said she was a difficult child for her uncle and grandmother early on, but said they did a great job in raising her. Other family members pitched in, too.
Uncle Ron Garrow showed her how to swing a tennis racket. Uncle Larry Garrow helped her academically. When she was younger she said she would go to his house five or six days a week for help, and he still offers assistance.
Sports became a large part of her life in third grade when she first started playing tennis and hockey.
Hockey became the dominant sport in her life after two discouraging moments in tennis, the first being an unfortunate matching in a tournament when she was in fourth grade.
A lack of girls her own age to compete with caused her to be set against a high school player who thoroughly dominated the match. She set her racket aside for a while and when she picked it up again, a frustrating day matched with unfavorable weather aggravated her.
After dropping a tie-breaker for the first set against Brockport's Kristen Hemingway, she was trailing in the second and doubting her chances.
She fought back and won the set, capping off the victory by winning two straight sets.
"My coaches are really good. They were by my side the whole time pushing me and giving me lots of encouragement to go on so I ended up pulling through," she said.
Pulling through tough times is nothing new for the home-grown, dual-sport Plattsburgh State sophomore. She was raised in Plattsburgh until she was six, but her parents' heroin addiction caused her to be moved to nearby Morrisonville to live with her uncle Edward Garrow and grandmother Bea Garrow.
After her mother and father split up, she said her mother moved in with another man and despite the birth of her sister, Taylor Spooner, the drug problems continued.
In 2002 her father died from a drug overdose.
Sports became her salvation.
"I don't know where I'd be without sports," Garrow said. "A lot of times when all the stress is going on, it's like a stress reliever. It's like a healthy stress reliever."
While sports helped her deal with life, her family has been just as important.
She said she was a difficult child for her uncle and grandmother early on, but said they did a great job in raising her. Other family members pitched in, too.
Uncle Ron Garrow showed her how to swing a tennis racket. Uncle Larry Garrow helped her academically. When she was younger she said she would go to his house five or six days a week for help, and he still offers assistance.
Sports became a large part of her life in third grade when she first started playing tennis and hockey.
Hockey became the dominant sport in her life after two discouraging moments in tennis, the first being an unfortunate matching in a tournament when she was in fourth grade.
A lack of girls her own age to compete with caused her to be set against a high school player who thoroughly dominated the match. She set her racket aside for a while and when she picked it up again, a frustrating day matched with unfavorable weather aggravated her.
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