By Nik Schnebly

This year Wheat Ridge has pushed to raise more awareness for cancer research with the second annual Pink Showdown between the Farmers and the Dakota Ridge Eagles.

One of the most celebrated parts of the pink showdown was Shelly Smith’s return to Wheat Ridge high school.

Shelly Smith is a correspondent for ESPN who announced last october that she had breast cancer. She would leave work for six months battling the cancer, then make a triumphant return to reporting April 30 as she interviewed Marcus Mariota on his drafting to the Tennessee Titans.

Smith would return to the screen without a wig so she could inspire and empower women in similar positions and even joked about her hair during the appearance saying that she “wouldn’t have to worry about the wind.”

Smith would return to Wheat Ridge in late September when she held an assembly telling her inspiring story to the student athletes of the school.

Smith would then attend the second annual pink out game, September 24, as a guest of honor and would cheer on the football team at halftime. Even though Wheat Ridge would lose 17-14 the message of the game would not be lost on the school as the pink out shirts are still being worn around school.

Shelly Smith is a true inspiration to all the students who walk these halls and to the masses who have supported her through Twitter during her fight with cancer.

On July 5 Smith would announce she was finally cancer free.