As a competitor, Congelli's spirit and determination hasn't changed much since the first time I saw her play in 2007 as an eighth-grader from Marlboro Middle School.
In a state regional semifinal game on June 6, 2007, Congelli drove in the winning run, gutting out a 10-pitch at-bat against Albertus Magnus with an RBI single to center field. In that at-bat, Congelli — a natural righty — turned around to bat left-handed and knocked in the winning run.
"I wasn't worried," O'Donnell, then Marlboro's softball coach, said that day. "You want a person like Carmen at bat in a clutch situation."
O'Donnell said Congelli does not carry herself like she has a life-threatening illness.
"I don't believe she has cancer," O'Donnell said. "Just the way she acts and the way she walks. It could be so easy to just give up, but she keeps fighting and moving forward."
Congelli has faced the disease with a positive outlook and has never allowed herself to do anything but move forward. Congelli has shown us that life (as well as living) does not necessarily end when you are diagnosed with cancer.
When she couldn't play at her best, she was always the Iron Dukes' most vocal supporter. When she is at her best, watch out. You might feel sorry for her condition, but she sure never felt sorry for herself. Especially when she was stealing bases on an opposing catcher or lacing a single into center field.
The most common question Congelli has to answer every day is a simple one, "How are you doing?"
Every time I have asked Congelli that question, I've gotten pretty much the same answer: "I'm good."
I suppose the answer is relative. Congelli is undergoing weekly alternative treatments for her cancer because chemotherapy and radiation aren't doing the job anymore. She remains upbeat even when the prognosis is not.
"She's just an inspiration to everybody — not just athletes, but people in general," O'Donnell said. "She lifted this community up and gave them a reason to pull together. They fight for her. They look at life differently."
Because of her treatments and trying to stay healthy, she's missed many classes this fall. When she is in school though, everyone's day is a little bit brighter.
"Whenever she's in school, it's 'Ms. O'Donnell, did you see Carmen?' or 'Carmen was here,' " O'Donnell said. "She just adds life to everything."
And she's taught us how to live our lives a little bit better.
