WHY THE BIG "C" MATTERS

All I could feel was the smile on my face as my rugby coaches presented me with my varsity letter. Days earlier, I had broken my neck competing in the collegiate rugby national championship. Now I laid in a hospital bed, paralyzed from the chest down.

Much of my circumstance warranted negativity, but I was filled with joy at the sight of that award. I earned it. I would be a Cal varsity letter winner for the rest of my life. It was a reminder that nothing could remove my identity as an athlete.

A Cal varsity letter is more than a plaque, jacket, or sweater. It’s a cherished symbol of athletic accomplishment. It symbolizes the shared experience of striving for excellence at the highest level of university sport. It’s a passport to lifetime membership in an elite community of athletes whose mindsets drive the world forward long after they cease intercollegiate competition.

I kept my varsity award in my hospital room over the next year and looked at it each day for inspiration. It reminds me of who I am. Grateful for everything. Entitled to nothing. Proud to be a Golden Bear.

Thank you for your contributions and your dedication to the University of California, and for making The Big C Society® the remarkable varsity alumni community that it is. It’s an honor to serve you.

Robert Paylor

Executive Director

The Big C Society®