Indestructible.
It is the one word which best describes Columbia senior Taylor Byrd.
While mere mortals drop like flies around her, consumed by the tempest which is her determination, Taylor Byrd motors on.
It has been like this since she first crossed the threshold at CHS, through cross country, basketball and soccer, through all four seasons and all weather. The indestructible Byrd flies on.
"If I didn’t play something every season I would be really bored," Byrd said. "I just like being on a bunch of different teams. It is a way to meet people and make new friends. I like to keep busy.
"I like playing all three sports because it pushes me to stay in shape and helps me stay mentally focused."
Byrd has been the focal point of all three varsity squads for all four years in blue. She assumed the mantle of leadership at a tender age, and though her vocal chords are her one weak spot, they are no Achilles heel. Byrd never puts her foot in her mouth.
"I am not always the one who talks and speaks up, but whenever I have something to say my teammates usually listen," Byrd said. "They know that I don’t talk unless it is important. I say what I feel.
"For me, being a leader is leading by example. That is how I portray things to the other girls."
The soccer season is currently in full swing and the Eagles are coming off a week which saw them handily beat neighbors Gibault and Waterloo. It could be just the tip of the iceberg for this talented team and Byrd is hoping to leave the trophy case one piece richer than it was upon her arrival.
"I hope to go out with a bang my senior year," Byrd said. "We want to win state, but we have to take it one game at a time.
"For all the sports, I hope that after I leave the teams will continue to grow and keep being competitive and get better. I hope there are more girls interested in trying out for cross country and basketball."
Byrd is a rare breed these days, a multi-sport athlete in an age of specialization. The girls growing up in Columbia in this time have been blessed to watch her fight and scrap and claw for every inch of real estate. They would do well to follow her example.
"I want girls to be OK with being competitive," Byrd said. "There is a time to be a girl and there is a time to play and have fun, especially when you are young. You can go out and give it your all and be competitive, give it your all, play hard and push people around.
"On the soccer field that is one of the most fun and important things in the game, to be able to stand your ground and be rough. That is what makes soccer fun. Off the soccer field you can go and be a girlie girl, but when you step on the field you need to put that all behind you and be focused to compete."
