Tracking Fearless Terps on the Frontline of COVID-19

Fearless Terps. A motto that is embodied in each and every student-athlete that steps foot onto the University of Maryland’s campus. Being a Fearless Terp represents pushing through adversity, while also making sure the best interest of others is at heart. 

During the unprecedented times of COVID-19, Maryland track and field alumnae have embodied the true values of Fearless Terps as they are working on the frontlines of the pandemic, showing that even after graduation, being fearless never ends.

Class of 2010 distance runner Kelley Pry Marchiano is working at an urgent care clinic in Whitemarsh, Maryland. She is a physician assistant at one of the few urgent cares in the state conducting COVID-19 testing. 

Marchiano has been administering nasal swab tests since March and has most recently begun the antibody tests for the virus. She explained that having a quick turn around with sanitizing the room and getting in all of the isolation gear makes for long days.

“People have had a range of symptoms, from minor sinus congestion to loss of smell and taste and shortness of breath,” she said. “It’s been 12-hour days, especially since we began the antibody tests. We see about 40 patients a day.” 

This is Marchiano’s first time experiencing a pandemic as a medical practitioner, and she has quickly realized how much being a member of the track and field team has helped her battle adversity in these times.  

“The obstacles and the types of things that we had to overcome each day and week during the track season have helped shape me into the type of person I am now,” explained Marchiano, who holds the ninth-fastest 800m time in Maryland history. “It gave me that mental toughness that is required, especially being in the medical field while dealing with a pandemic.

“Since the 800m dash is such an endurance race, it has given me the stamina to get through the 12-hour shifts, so I am not as exhausted as other people might be. I have a better capability to handle this because of my experience with Maryland track and field.”

On her days off, she spends time with her two-year-old daughter and makes sure she works out every morning. 

“I keep reminding myself that this will pass and it is temporary. It may not go back to normal, but we will find a new normal,” Marchiano said. “My daughter really helps me focus on the present and I am enjoying this time I have with her at the house. I have to stay active. Track alumna Chanel Williams Smith started zoom workouts and I have been joining in on those as well, it’s been a lot of fun.”

Marchiano is one of many medical workers who are pushing through these challenging times, and she is one of several Terps who are on the front line.

Lora Stutzman (‘03) is a physical therapist at Johns Hopkins Hospital, however within the last five weeks she has been volunteering to assist with COVID-19 patients. She knew that volunteering for this position would place her in the midst of the pandemic, but she decided to move forward with no regrets.

Stutzman’s main role as a volunteer is to assist doctors with turning patients, all who are on ventilators, on their sides to help their blood and oxygen flow. Once the doctors feel that the patients are getting better, she and a few other volunteers help turn them onto their backs. Stutzman is also assisting with making PPE for workers in the hospital. 

“The first day or two was a bit scary because I was kind of getting my feet wet and trying to really figure out what was going on,” said Stutzman, who ran track for the Terps from 1999-2003. “However, after being in there and having a few days where I was in contact with COVID patients, it got better.” 

This has become a new normal for Stutzman. As a physical therapist, she has been able to learn more about different fields of medical care through her volunteering experience. Several floors of the hospital were turned into “negative pressure units,” where they work to contain the virus. This is where Stutzman spends her 12-hour shifts. 

“This has been such a learning experience, and I have my moments where it does hit me hard. But the majority of the time I have my game face on and make sure I do what I have to do.”

Stutzman has seen people getting better, which has kept her encouraged to keep going. The community has been standing right behind her as she stands strong on the front lines. 

“I’m glad I can be a part of it and help in some way. The community has been incredibly generous by donating food all of the time,” she said. “I don’t know how to pay them back for everything they have been doing for me.”

Each front line workers story is different, but they all come back to the same overlaying message: stay fearless.

Renee Clark Redmon (‘06), who stands No. 5 all-time in the 500m dash at Maryland, is working in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) as a registered nurse. Redmon’s involvement with COVID-19 does not include administering the tests, but instead, she has been a driving force in enforcing new social distancing guidelines that hospitals have developed. 

“When everything first started, families were still allowed to come in and visit and be with the infants. The whole family would be there. But now we can only allow one person, either mom or dad,” Redmon said. 

If there are any patients that may think they have coronavirus, they are housed in the NICU as they assess and treat their symptoms. 

“Most of the medication being used has been used in adults, but hasn’t really been used in the pediatric world. There’s still a great deal we have to learn, so we have to move vigilantly.” 

Redmon points out that teamwork has been one of the keys to making sure everything can run as smoothly as possible. 

“A lot of teamwork goes into nursing and health care in general,” she explained. “I’m definitely a team player off of the track as well.”

Kristina Keegan Bonesteel (’07), one of Redmon’s former teammates, has been working on the preventative side of COVID-19 as she continues to work earnestly to treat patients in the midst of the pandemic. Bonesteel is working as an outpatient nurse practitioner in oncology with cancer patients. 

“Unfortunately, people don’t stop getting sick just because the pandemic is happening. We have to continue to treat our patients and keep them on track,” she said. “Pretty early on we established strict guidelines and have done a number of telephone visits for our patients. We also require everyone to wear masks at all times.”

Since the pandemic began, Bonesteel said she works about three days a week, but she has been working longer hours to make sure her patients are being supported emotionally. Family members and some patients have been limited from visiting in-person, but to fill that gap she takes the time during telephone visits to catch up with them.

“It has changed our role a bit, we’re just trying to make sure we are keeping everyone on track,” Bonesteel said.

As a 400m hurdler, she had the opportunity to develop a strong sense of structure and multitasking abilities. 

“You’re expected to show up and perform, which also applied to my time at Maryland. I think that translates pretty well into a situation like this,” she explained. “I have to go to work. I have to perform. I have to be at my best. I can’t just say ‘I’m not in the mood for this today.’ I have to be ready to go and make sure I am doing my best at all times.”

She notes that many track and field athletes tend to pick pretty challenging majors and career paths, but that has allowed for so many student-athletes to become successful in the long run. The challenges that these alumnae faced have been met with perseverance and persistence.

Myah Hicks, who graduated from Maryland in 2015 and competed in distance events, echoes the words that Bonesteel expressed about Maryland student-athletes. Hicks pursued medical school after she earned her degree in kinesiology. As a current student at Wake Forest Baptist Health, she has been able to learn the ins and outs of dealing with a pandemic as she finishes up her clinical rotation hours.

“A big thing at Maryland is being fearless,” Hicks said. “I took that mindset with me from running track and having Coach [Andrew] Valmon instill that in us. Especially in a time like this, you have to be fearless. So, I’m just adapting that fearless mindset going into every day, hoping for the best, and providing care for the patients the best way you can.” 

Hicks will be graduating in a few weeks and is appreciative that she got to learn how the health care system adapts to these situations as a student. 

“I have so much gratitude for the opportunity to attend Maryland on scholarship. I can’t even imagine being able to complete school on time without it,” she said. “I discovered I wanted to go into the medical profession my junior year, so I was able to take classes to catch up and still graduate on time with the help of the scholarship. I am very grateful for it.”

Being fearless is a trait that all five of these women learned in College Park as students and on the track. Now, they are on the frontlines fighting against a pandemic. Each one can pass the baton to others as they assist in the battle versus COVID-19 remembering the lessons they learned at Maryland.

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