VDN names swimming award after the late Afton Wallace

The Vicksburg Daily News has decided to honor the late Afton Wallace by naming “Afton Wallace Swimmer of the Year Award” in her memory.

Wallace began swimming at a young age, which eventually led to her competing with the Vicksburg Swim Association.

“She fell in love with the backstroke and that was her No.1 favorite,” Afton’s mom Sheri Wallace said.

Although swimming became her passion, Afton stayed busy with multiple activities, including band, show choir, being the President of the math honor society, and competing in the Warren Central Idol. Additionally, she was heavily involved in her church, where she volunteered to clean up after hurricanes.

Afton made many friends throughout her years, not just because of the many activities she was involved in, but also due to her great personality and her special way of treating people.

“She had about eight best friends because everyone was her best friend and she would just invite more people to be apart of her group to make everyone feel welcome,” Afton’s father Rob Wallace said. “She belonged to about four or five different friend circles and she was equally invested into every one of them.”

In her teen years, Afton began swimming for Warren Central High School as well as VSA under Head Coach Matthew Mixon. She was the type of athlete that any coach would love to have on their team.

Afton Wallace: Photo provided by the Wallace family

“I will always remember her smile and she always had positive energy but that was just Afton all the way,” Mixon said. “She was a fierce competitor but she always encouraged her teammates and she brought out the best in everybody.”

In her junior year of high school, Afton faced something that would interfere with her life for the rest of her days. She was diagnosed with stage IV Ewing’s sarcoma on May 22, 2014.

Afton’s diagnosis came after suffering through much pain that forced her parents to visit several doctors.

“We bounced around to over 10 different doctors and it went from just a mild backache to where she couldn’t even walk in six weeks,” the Wallace’s said. “This particular cancer is hard to detect because there’s no blood test and we took her in at the end of April and by May 22 she was down a pint of blood, loss 35 pounds, paralyzed in her left leg and up until that date we were being told that nothing is wrong with her.”

Despite cancer pinching at her right hip and being paralyzed in her left leg, Afton never let it get the best of her. She continued to compete in swim meets and managed to perform well despite her situation.

“If she wasn’t in the hospital then she was competing in the swim meets even without the use of her leg,” Sheri said.

Afton’s bravery touched the souls of many as she battled through a devastating illness while also finishing school.

“Afton was dedicated to her education and her craft,” her former teacher Terry Wong said. “She strived for perfection and she was a team leader as well as a strong swimmer and her teammates respected her because of what she could do in and outside of the pool.

I taught her for several classes when she was well and when she was going through her cancer treatments but the biggest thing I can say is that she lived her life to the fullest and she was a bright star and a shining light to people even before she got cancer.”

WCHS, along with the Vicksburg-Warren School District, did everything they could to ensure that Afton finished her classes. They even went as far as purchasing a robot to sit in the classroom while she couldn’t be there due to receiving chemotherapy.

The battles that Afton fought were ones that only true soldiers can handle. She never gave up on life, and on May 21, 2015, she showed up at her high school graduation. With her family and friends in attendance, she received her diploma.

A few days later, on May 24, Afton died at her home in the early morning hours. She was surrounded by her family.

Even after her death, Afton had a positive influence on many people. Some of her close friends went into the medical field after graduation.

To this day, Afton’s parents continue to keep her phone active and still receive messages from her close friends, which they never read. Her memory continues to have a significant impact on people, proving how special she was and always will be to anyone she came in contact with on Earth.

“She had the biggest heart and she always wanted to give love and that was one of the best things about her,” friend and teammate Blaine Butler said. “Her laugh was almost addictive  and there’s no way anyone could be sad around her and she was the best teammate anyone could ask for but she was also friends with everyone from all competing teams.”

When VDN considered who to name an award after, Afton’s name was at the top of the list. For us, she represents a true fighter and believe her life will always be a symbol of hope.

“We’re honored and it’s really sweet that people remember Afton,” Rob said.

When asked about Afton’s competitive swimming, Sheri said “it was never about being No. 1, it was always a competition against herself because she never wanted to beat anyone, she just wanted to beat her time.”

Afton Wallace: Photo provided by the Wallace family

Afton was the oldest of five children and left behind a family, friends, and teammates who all adored her in life and beyond.