Robinson welcomes challenge

Boardman swimmer Hayley Robinson is a state qualifier despite unusual obstacles.
By JOE SCALZO
VINDICATOR SPORTS STAFF
BOARDMAN -- Hayley Robinson's swimming season didn't start on Jan. 17, but it almost ended there.
Robinson was skiing with her boyfriend, John Cutlip, at Boston Mills Ski Resort near Akron. It was dark. Cutlip was on a snowboard, going down an intermediate slope called Peter's Pride, which connects with a expert slope near the bottom of the hill.
Another skier, a large man, came flying down the expert slope. He didn't see Cutlip. Cutlip didn't see him. They collided.
"He basically knocked the wind out of me," said Cutlip, a junior at Struthers High. "It felt like I had a stomach cramp."
Turns out, he had a lot more than that.
The collision shattered his spleen, and Cutlip was rushed to Akron General, where he stayed for a week. They took out four bags of blood. It's not a stretch to say he could have died.
Doctors, who didn't think he needed surgery, released him on Jan. 23 and scheduled a follow-up appointment on Feb. 1. He checked out fine.
"This is where the story gets really weird," Cutlip said.
Two days later, Cutlip's mom noticed he still didn't look right. He sure didn't feel right. He started feeling some serious pain. Then he started screaming.
"I'm not the type of guy who swears in front of his mother, but I said a couple things," he said.
He was rushed to North Side Hospital, where they removed his spleen the next day. The spleen isn't a major organ, but it's crucial to the body's immune system.
Every day, for the rest of his life, he will have to take two penicillin pills.
Lending support
What does this have to do with Robinson? Well, through it all, she was there. By his bedside. Helping him get through it.
"She was amazing," said Cutlip, who has been dating Robinson for seven months. "She was there every day. The first few nights, she stayed overnight. That's something I really appreciated. That's a big thing. It's a long drive to Akron."
Unfortunately for Robinson, what was good for him wasn't good for her swimming career. She had to miss practice almost every day so she could see him.
"I didn't care," she said. "That wasn't crossing my mind. All that was crossing my mind was him."
Her coaches were just as understanding.
"They were really great," she said. "They let me miss practice. They asked how he was. The whole team made a card for him. It was great."
And, fortunately, this story has a happy ending. Cutlip is recovering nicely -- "I'll be back on the slopes soon," he said -- and Robinson, despite missing close to a month of practice, is back to form.
She finished third in the 100-yard breaststroke at last weekend's district swim meet and is one of just three area qualifiers for this weekend's state meet in Canton.
Overcoming adversity
She's also no stranger to adversity. Last year, she battled mononucleosis. For the past two years she's just missed making the state finals in the event -- missing by a fraction of a second as a freshman and losing a swim-off as a sophomore.
"Something's always happening to me," she said with a laugh.
Boardman assistant Carlo Cordon agreed. "We're gonna wrap you in bubble wrap next year," he said.
"Yeah, him too," she said, pointing to Cutlip. "This year wasn't my fault."
Friday is Robinson's 17th birthday. They plan to go to dinner. And, if he can get a ticket, Cutlip is going to watch Robinson when she swims on Saturday. Does she hope to finally make the finals this year?
"That's a good goal," she said. "But I'm just going to try to have fun and enjoy it. That's more important."