CSU’s New Head Coach’s Wife is a Bold Survivor
Kim Norvell is much more than a football coach's wife. The life that she's lead, puts a lot into perspective.
They say 'behind every great man, is a strong woman.' That would mean that CSU's new Head Football Coach, Jay Norvell, is a VERY great man; because his wife Kim Norvell's story is about strength and perseverance, beyond words.
When you hear that someone is a colon cancer survivor, having 13 inches of their colon removed, you take note. That's not easy for anyone. Then, when you find out that this person also has cystic fibrosis, and wasn't expected to survive past their youth, you sit back in awe.
Kim Norvell is that someone.
I was alerted to a 2017 article about Kim in the Reno Gazette, which did a feature on her soon after her husband, Jay, became the Head Coach of the Nevada Wolf Pack, and was floored by her story.
Kim is one of about 30.000 people in America who have cystic fibrosis (CF,) which today is normally treated before birth. When Kim was born in 1968, they couldn't do that yet, nor diagnose the disease right away. After about six months of health issues after she was born, it was discovered that both her parents carried the CF gene, and their baby girl had the disease, and wasn't expected to live to see first grade.
Kim and her family fought then, as she still does every day, to overcome CF. Part of that, is starting each morning coughing for an hour to get her airways clean and then hooking up to a vest to help the process as well.
Kim grew up, cheered in high school and went onto college at Wisconsin, where she met Jay, who was a young assistant coach for the football team. They married, they had a son, who's now 22, and have moved across the country several times, as Jay's career took him to different jobs.
Then, 14 years ago in 2007, Kim was diagnosed with colon cancer and ended up having to have 13 inches of her colon removed.
'Are you kidding me?' I said out loud, when I read that.
She beat cancer, she continues to beat down cystic fibrosis. This women is 'hella' strong.
Welcome to Fort Collins, Kim. Go, Rams!
Get the full story from the Reno Gazette.
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