Dani~

"I think I'm good from here," I tell the girls that have been beside me since 9 am. They've done my hair and makeup as well as gotten me dressed in a dress that is incredibly too tight. It fit a couple of weeks ago but not anymore.

"Are you sure?"

"Yeah. I'm good but thank you for all the help."

They smile and soon are gone from our room. I go out to Christian, "I can't breathe. Get this off of me."

He starts untying the top part of my dress. "Why would they tie it so tight?"

"I don't know. Just get it off."

"I'm trying."

Mikayla and Lauren make their way into our room. I have no idea how they got a key but they have one. "What are you doing?"

"Getting this dress off. I can't breathe."

I hold the front of my dress as Christian finally got it untied and loosened. I sit on the bed, "You're not going to wear that, right?"

"Hell no. I brought a dress with me. I'll just wear that."

They had me in this pink dress. The top was tight but it flared out at the bottom of my stomach. There was no way in hell that I was going to wear that dress for at least another five hours.

Christian goes over to the closet. "This one?" he asks, pulling the dark green fabric so everyone can see.

"Yeah." It's plain, but it will work. I grab the dress from him and Mikayla and Lauren follow me into the bathroom.

"Maybe I should do this," he says, stepping into the bathroom.

"Christian, I've seen her naked and have your daughter. I think she's fine with us doing this."

He goes to ask but stops himself. "Don't worry about it," we all tell him.

"I don't even know why I try anymore. I shouldn't have even tried to ask," I hear him say after Lauren shut the door.

They get the other dress on. This is way more comfortable than that other dress. I fix the fabric on my belly. Everyone is going to have to live with the fact that I am pregnant.

"That bump is popping."

"It feels like it too."

I open the bathroom door. Christian stands at the door. "I'm fine," I tell him.

"Are you?"

"Yeah."

I sit on the bed and put my silver heels on. I'm going to regret wearing these but it's the only shoes I have with me. Christian gets down and straps them on for me.

I grab my clutch and the papers I have my speech on. I look in the mirror one more time before we head out of our room. I look at my papers and make sure they're in order.

Christian's hand lies on my hip as I stand in front of him as we make our way down to the lobby. He kisses the back of my head as the rest of them walk out. He knows I'm nervous and that I'm balling it up inside. I hold his hand as we walk out to the car.

Christian stands beside me as we watch Drake perform from the side of the stage. I hold onto his shoulder and give each foot a break from standing for so long.

I answered so many questions when we walked the red carpet. Drake gets done with his performance and welcomes LeBron James to the stage as our emcee for the awards.

He takes his place on center stage, "Before tonight's award ceremony gets started, we have an athlete that is getting an amazing honor tonight. Three-time Olympic gold medalist, Daniella Campbell-Yelich is being honored by the International Volleyball Hall of Fame tonight. Dani is here with us tonight to reflect on her years of work. Please welcome Dani and George Mulry, the director of the International Volleyball Hall of Fame."

Christian kisses me one more time before I go out there. The director hugs me before LeBron. Never did I think I'd meet LeBron James in this situation.

I set my papers down on the clear table. Okay, here we go. Let's not cry.

"24 years ago when I first picked up a volleyball at the age of eight, I had no idea that it would lead me to this spot. I know that sounds cliché but it's completely true. I grew up in a small town outside of Milwaukee with a population of just about 16,000. Oconomowoc, Wisconsin has forever had my back. From my high school years up until now. It's where I grew up and where I'll forever call home."

"I made the varsity team as a freshman in high school. Impressive, right? I'm sure you can imagine the things said to me by the older girls on the team as I was getting more and more playing time every match we had. What those girls didn't know is that their negative comments made me a better player and a better person. In my sophomore year, I tore my right ACL for the first time. I was devastated. I thought my career was over as most people do when they first become injured. But I came back for my junior year and got my first offer from a college. The University of Wisconsin-Madison showed interest in me. I could stay in my home state and play for the Badgers."

I clear my throat quietly and flip the page, "By the end of my junior year, I was committed to playing volleyball and continuing my education at the University of Wisconsin. Coach Kelly Sheffield was the main reason why I'm standing right here. He believed in my talents and took risks by playing me as a freshman. He pushed me to be better than the previous day. Sheffield and I kept in contact through my senior year. In my senior year, me and my closest friend, Mikayla, took our team to the state championship and won it. Later that summer after we had graduated, we played on the same travel volleyball team. The summer before we were freshmen again, we won a national championship. Mikayla has been my rock since eighth grade. We're 32 now and she still is."

"With Sheffield leading us through college, he taught us a lot. I played for six years in college. I graduated with my undergraduate degree in 2018 and decided that wasn't enough. I went back to graduate school to get my degree in physical therapy all while playing volleyball. I was the first six-time All-American collegiate athlete. I was Female Athlete of the Year two years in a row. We even won a national championship in Colombus, Ohio. Then the time came to decide if I was done playing. I didn't want to be done. I wanted to keep playing. International teams reached out and said I had a spot on their team if I wanted it. I didn't want to play on an international team. I wanted to play for Team USA."

"Coach Sheffield brought me an amazing opportunity. It's February of 2020, just three months before I graduate for good and he comes to me with an opportunity to try out for the Olympic team. Obviously, I couldn't say no. So I packed all my school stuff, and let my professors know that I was headed out to Colorado Springs to try out for Team USA. I went with Mikayla and we gave it our all. Only three girls would be added to the roster for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. Myself, Mikayla, and our amazing friend Lauren were in. We made Team USA. Coach Sheffield then let us know that he would take over as the full-time coach that year. So I graduated with high honors and went from hitting the books all day to hitting the gym and studying film all day long. 2020 is the year I became stronger and more of myself. It was the year when I finally knew what I wanted. I wanted to win an Olympic gold medal."

I take a deep breath, "In late July, we packed up our things and headed to Tokyo. We cruised through the bracket and were in the championship game with Brazil. We weren't going to lose and we knew that. We won a gold medal in Tokyo. The first time Team USA won in women's volleyball was in Tokyo. It was exhilarating and full circle. I had the time of my life in Tokyo but we had to go home. This is where it gets interesting. I met my best friend in 2020 after I had gotten back. Except I didn't know he'd turn out to be my best friend. Or my husband," I say looking over at Christian.

He smiles at me before I continue, "I met Christian at a Brewers game after I threw out the first pitch. Believe me when I say we did not hit it off from there. I waited as long as I could. Not because I didn't like him. Because who wants to do long distance anymore? I know I didn't. I bring this up because Christian is and was a big part of who I am today. A better athlete. A better person. But most importantly, a mom. In 2021, my second season with Team USA, I suffered a torn ACL and ruptured meniscus in the first few weeks of playing. I knew it from the time I went down on the court. I got us the winning point but I wasn't winning at that moment. I flew back to Milwaukee and had surgery immediately. I was supposed to be out for ten months but I made it seven months. For the spring and summer that I was in Milwaukee, Christian was there. He was taking me to physical therapy appointments. He made me go to Brewer games because I was 'depressed' and 'had no energy,' which was true. I just didn't want to admit it. While my team was winning in different countries, I was at home, fighting my mental health battle to get better. It was a long recovery but I couldn't have done it without Christian."

I turn the page again, "In 2022, I was training for my best season yet. In my book, it still is. This was the season where I challenged the hell out of my body and mind. Christian and I were doing long-distance. We could only call every once in a while because sometimes I'd be 16 hours ahead of him. While we were in Chicago, I broke the all-time kill record. I was 90 miles from home. That moment is a core memory for me. My family was in the stands cheering me on. My teammates were pushing me to keep going. I did just that and ended that match with 54 kills. I was on cloud nine. That season ended and we were world champions. That off-season was one I will always remember in the best and worst way possible. Christian and I got engaged in Hawaii and then a couple of weeks later, I was working through one of my toughest patches ever. I won't go into details but I didn't play for the first six weeks of my season. It was then that realized how important mental health was and what I needed to be doing to stay healthy. While I wasn't playing, I was at home in Milwaukee with Christian planning our wedding and our whole future."

I hear him chuckle from the side of the stage. "Anyways, I ended up going back and learned to listen to my body and mind at all times. I got off to a slow start but eventually got back into it. The season went on and we were world champions again for the third season in a row. Next up was the Olympics. But I had to take care of business with my status with the league. Technically, at the end of the 2023 season, I was a free agent. The only place I wanted to play was with Team USA. Especially because I'm now engaged and I didn't want to be away from Christian for months on end like I already was. So I signed a two-year deal with Team USA. I should also mention that we got married that off-season and has the most beautiful and special wedding in Scottsdale, Arizona. It was everything I ever dreamed about and planned when I was 15 years old."

The crowd laughs, "I went back to Team USA and played for the entire 2024 season without getting hurt. Well, up until our last match. We won the gold medal in Paris and I came back to Milwaukee to have another knee surgery. Let me tell you, I am sick of having knee surgery. In 2025, my last full season before my contract ended, I made sure to end it with a bang. Our last tournament was held in Chicago. My family got to see me play my last match. It was a very special and emotional moment. In that match, I broke my own kill record. Everything went right that day. At that moment, I was okay with retiring. This is coming from the girl who thought she would never retire for a long time. But my life and priorities switched. Now believe me when I say that a lot of people were mad and upset that I was retiring. But so was Coach Sheffield. He was retiring because of family and I was doing the same. Because unfortunately, you can't have kids whenever you want to. It's difficult and frustrating. In May of 2026, I found out I was pregnant with our daughter, Brielle. I later had her in January of 2027. She is a complete copy and paste of me. It was about a month after I had her and Christian and I were on Jared Carrabis' podcast and he had asked if I wanted to go back. Truthfully, I was happy at home with Christian and Brielle. I opened a new door to my life that I hadn't experienced yet. I didn't want to miss out on anything. She's my pride and joy. There was no way I could leave her for an entire season. That wasn't an option."

"Then I was told that Coach Sheffield would make a return to the team to lead them to another Olympic gold medal. At that point, it was looking more and more likely that I would go back. We figured out a way where I could train in Milwaukee but travel with the team. It worked. We won again. I was so glad to go back. Volleyball will forever hold a huge spot in my heart. It's all I've known for 24 years. On the day of our final match against Japan, I found out I was pregnant. I also get to be pregnant with my best friends, Lauren and Mikayla. I don't know the chances of that happening but we're all a week apart from each other. Now Brielle is going to be a big sister to our second daughter on the way. I couldn't be more excited to experience this whole cycle again."

I smile, trying to hold back the tears, "For 24 years, I played volleyball. I played my heart out for every match. I proudly wore 'USA' across my back and chest every match. I am so glad I got to play for Team USA for my entire career. I'm even happier I got to do it with my best friends. I took on the nickname 'Cap' and did exactly what it means. I have to thank so many people. First, my parents and siblings for taking me to every practice and game. For being there for all of my games too. For pushing me to be my absolute best. Thank you to all of my coaches. Middle school, high school, travel, college, and pro. Although I've had one coach for way too long and he's quite annoying sometimes," I say looking directly at Coach Sheffield.

I see him laugh as I continue, "Thank you to my best friends for literally pushing me every match to do my best. They were hyping me up when I did not need it. Of course, a huge thank you to Christian for being there at my absolute worst and my absolute best. You're a big reason why I'm standing here right now. I am officially retiring from volleyball. Maybe I'll come back to coach my girls if they want to play. But for now, I have to spend time with my family. I gave volleyball my all for 24 years. Now I'm going to do the same for my family."

I back away from the clear podium and watch as everyone stands up and claps. Wow. This is surreal. This tops every gold medal win. Every world championship. Every state championship. Every national championship. This is a core memory. I'm a Hall of Famer.

I yawn as I turn around to face Christian. "Do you want to go back?"

"Let's go see if they're heading back soon."

I lead the way as most people will give pregnant women extra room if they see us coming. He holds my hand as he follows behind me toward our table.

All four of them sit there on their phones. "Hey, do you guys want to head back?"

Mikayla and Lauren look at me and nod. They're tired. You can tell. "Should we get a big Uber?"

"That works."

"Okay let's go out to the front. It's getting hot and crowded in here."

I walk with them as we get to the front of the Barclays Center where Ubers can pick up people. "Being pregnant is so exhausting," Mikayla says quietly.

"Amen to that."

Christian finds our Uber and we start to file in. Christian and I take the back seat. I lean on his shoulder and cross my arms. Mikayla turns to look at me, "When do we get our awards?"

"They should be mailed to us in a few weeks."

All six nominations for Team USA were won. I take a lot of pride in that. "Sit up."

I sit normally as he starts to take his jacket off. He puts his jacket over me. He probably felt me shivering. It's a bit cold in New York City right now. I lay on him again.

We sat in traffic for what felt like forever as we made our way back to our hotel. We get out and I hold his jacket around me. We take the elevator up. "What time do we need to leave?" Lauren asks as we all stop at our rooms.

"By 11:30 at the latest." There was no way anyone was going to get us girls up by 5 am for a flight. That was not happening.

"Okay."

I scan our room key and push the door open. I sit on the bed and reach for the stairs on my heels. I struggle for a few more seconds until I look up at Christian as he watches me. "Can you get these off please?"

"I was wondering how long it was going to take you to ask."

"She's in my way."

He gets my heels off and sets them to the side. I lay back on the bed, "This is such a good bed."

He lays down next to me, his head propped up by his hand. He hands me his phone. A picture of Brie snuggled in with tons of blankets and stuffed animals at her grandma's house.

"Awww, our girl. I miss her." It's our first multi-day trip without her. She stayed at Alecia's while we were here.

"Sounds like they had a lot of fun today. My mom took her to the zoo and she loved all of the big animals. Then they got ice cream and she knocked out."

Alecia loves being grandma. Maybe even more than being a mom. "I can't wait to hug her."

He puts his hand on my belly, "Was she kicking?"

"The entire time while I was talking. That was starting to get to me."

"You did pretty well."

"I know. I surprised myself."

He laughs, "I think my favorite part was all the little jabs at everyone. You worried for nothing. It was well done."

"You think?"

"Yeah. You captured everything and didn't make it cliché. It was you."

He leans over and kisses me, "I'm so proud of you. I love you."

"I love you too. You're next, right?"

"Probably not."

"You'll end up in Cooperstown."

"I'm surprised you know that."

"You know, me too."

I sit up, "I need to get out of this and shower."

I grabbed some comfortable clothes from my suitcase and put them in the bathroom. "I can help with both," Christian says as he stands at the bathroom door.

"I know. Come on."