May 9, 2025 • 10 mins
Washington Huskies Women’s Soccer Goalkeeper Mia Hamant joins Dave Softy Mahler and Dick Fain to talk about her battle against kidney cancer, going through chemo and her mentality in the fight, and the UW soccer team now in the Big Ten and their success.
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
Casting live from the R and R Foundation specialist broad
Jasts studio. Now back to Softie and Dick, powered by
Emerald Queen Casino, the vetty and capital of the Northwest
on sports Radio Nutties three point three kjr FF.
Speaker 2 (00:17):
All right, boys and girls, we're back on a Friday
night right here on ninety three three KJRFM from Cheney
Stadium in Tacoma, getting ready for the Rainiers and Rivercats
at seven o five doors a flung open. The fans
are moving into the park as we speak here on
ninety three to three KJRFM. But we're going away from
baseball for a second because joining us right now on
the radio show one of the best goalkeepers in women's
(00:38):
college soccer.
Speaker 3 (00:39):
And when I say that, I really mean that.
Speaker 2 (00:42):
She had an eight eighty two save percentage last year,
which was the third lowest in the country. She's also
an academic all district student off the pitch as well,
but now she's in the fight of her life. You
may have heard about this on social media. We wanted
to get her on to hear her story and have
her talk to us. From the Husky women's soccer team,
(01:02):
goalkeeper Mia Hammond is with us on the show Mia
Happy Friday.
Speaker 3 (01:06):
What's going on?
Speaker 4 (01:08):
Not much, I'm happy to be here.
Speaker 3 (01:10):
Yeah, well, we're excited to have you on the air.
Speaker 2 (01:13):
Before we talk soccer and before we get to everything
happening with your favorite sports, give people an idea of
what your life is like now, right. I mean, if
you have the rain game earlier this year, you go
to Spain, I believe you were on that trip as well,
and then you come home and you get some news
about an aggressive form of kidney cancer and everything kind
(01:34):
of just gets put on hold. So tell us about
what your life is like now. What it's been like
the last couple of months for you since your diagnosis.
Speaker 4 (01:43):
Yeah, totally, it's been a crazy few past months. Yeah,
about two months ago I started selling pre ill. I
had a really bad cough, and like you said, I
went to Spain and I fell ill in Spain as well,
and we're just kind of confused with aught it was
an infection or something. But I came back and then
one morning I was just having a lot of chest pains,
(02:04):
just like shortness of breath, and so I ended up
going to the hospital where we later found out that
I had this kidney cancer that happened over the stand
of a few weeks. But I got chemo, my first
sound of chemo a few weeks ago, and before that
I was just really in bad shape. I wasn't doing well.
But now I feel better than ever. I sound great,
(02:24):
I feel great. My friends had said, I have color
back in my face. So yeah, it's been a great
few weeks after chemos. So really happy about that.
Speaker 5 (02:34):
Well, And you always seem to look at the bright side.
You've obviously got a great level of optimism about you.
Speaker 3 (02:40):
How about battling this disease.
Speaker 5 (02:42):
Maybe in the best place in the country to win
the battle over this disease. I mean, this is the
place you want to be if you're sick in Seattle.
Speaker 4 (02:49):
Right, one hundred percent? Yeah, you did. Medicine has been great,
Fred hutch has been great even before on my treatment.
All the doctors are just saying how great of hands
I'm in, And that has just been really reassuring because obviously,
like I'm not a doctor, I don't really know what's
going on, but just to hear that I'm having the
best doctors take care of me and look after me,
and everyone behind the scenes is also in pushing for me.
To get the best care possible. It just makes me
(03:10):
feel really loved and just makes you feel like I
can beat this even more than I always believe I can.
Speaker 2 (03:15):
Yeah, Well, me and Hammond's again from the uw women's
soccer team is fighting an aggressive form of kidney cancer.
We're going to help get the word out for the
go fund me fundraiser in just a moment. But you
mentioned something there mea that I've heard now from a
couple of people today kind of getting ready for the interview,
that you don't really know what's going on. And it's
almost like that ignorance is on purpose, that you don't
(03:37):
want to know what's going on, like your parents know
more than you do. There's a lot of people out
there that are currently fighting cancer, right, millions of people
that are fighting this, and they might hear you and
hear your approach and wonder why you're doing it the
way you're doing it and why you want to be
kept in the dark about some stuff.
Speaker 4 (03:57):
Yeah, honestly, it started as it just stems from fear
of knowing, because no twenty year old expects to just
have this cancer diagnosis much less like like when you're
in twenty you feel invincible, and especially a stud await
as well, like if I could play talk or I
could do anything like that's just my mindset, so just
like it comes from a place of fear and not
(04:18):
knowing you're invisible anymore. But it's like a known thing
at my appointments now that I just want to hear
the synopsis here all like the just the general news,
and then I'm out for the details. I cannot know
because if I know more details, if I know the
survival rate, anything, I just I just feel like that
just diminishes my hope and diminishes my optimism. And the
(04:40):
funny thing for me too is I didn't know what
stage cancer I had until the go fund me came
out because in a little blurb it says I have
stage four cancer that I had no idea. So even
that was a shock after a few weeks of just
having this diagnosis. So Anti has helped me a lot.
And if I would recommend anything to someone who's going
through this, if not knowing would help you, then it
worked for me. So yeah, that's all I have to say.
Speaker 5 (05:02):
Well, Mia, you tweeted this week you said the love
and support I've already seen has been surreal. Can you
tell us a story, give us an anecdote, you know
what has really touched you. Was there a moment or
something that someone did for you.
Speaker 4 (05:15):
Yeah, well it started with they will fund me, and
like I post on Instagram just kind of announcing this,
and this one girl from you to have reached out
to me, and it is like I'm a college student
as well, Like I have just got diagnosis past December,
and I've been fighting for the fighting this and it's
just like it's really isolating just not being around a
(05:36):
lot of people my age who have dealt with this
and like had personal experiences and stuff, because you, like
I said before, no two year old expects to get
this diagnosis. So just like all the personal anecdotes I've
heard from people who I don't even know and whatnot,
that has been amazing. And then also the support from
the softball community and the sports community in general, especially
in college athletics, has been outstanding. Like the softball team
(05:58):
put orange ribbons in their hair for me. That was amazing,
I know, idea that was happening. So just little things
like that are just really meaningful for me.
Speaker 2 (06:05):
Well, Mia Hammonds again from the U Deep soccer team
is with us on the air, and I mean, look me,
I'll be honest with you. I found out about what
was going on with you through social media, right, I mean,
it's just been unbelievable that just groundswellow support. And we
just got done doing a little contest on the air
to pick the most annoying fan base of all time,
and the Oregon Duck fans won, by the way, just
(06:27):
so you know, a full disclosure, right. But but you've
even got You've even got Oregon fans that are coming
to your defense. And I mean, did you notice that
that you've got Oregon people helping to raise money for you.
The go fund me is over ninety seven thousand dollars already,
and fans of teams that are supposed to be rivals
(06:48):
are coming to support you.
Speaker 3 (06:50):
I mean, what is that?
Speaker 1 (06:50):
Just?
Speaker 2 (06:51):
I hope that you're able to log onto social media
and see this stuff.
Speaker 4 (06:54):
Mia mm hmm, yeah, Perc. So many teams who will
be compete against in the past have just been reaching
out Oregon Soccer. I have close connections with them too.
Unfortunately we're rivals, but they've been super nice and supportive.
It's just insane, Like I said, The community, especially the
soft community, is so tight knit. The team we actually
lost to in the NCAA tournament, their team has been
(07:16):
reaching out to me. A lot of their players that
I played against and competed against just having reaching out
to me. Like it's like it's extending their support and whatnot.
And that's just insane that it's gone that far. And
like you said, yeah, it's just crazy that our rivals
are supporting me. I really appreciate it.
Speaker 5 (07:36):
I'm going to ask you to do something tough now.
I want you to pat yourself on the back, which
I'm sure is probably not easy for you to do.
But the Seattle Times article that was out yesterday said
that your teammates say that you inspire them on the field,
and I don't think they were really referring to like
your illness. They were just referring to.
Speaker 3 (07:52):
You as a person, as a teammate.
Speaker 5 (07:55):
What about your nature inspires your team?
Speaker 4 (07:59):
I think it's been my optimism. I think it's helped
a lot having my friends behind me and stuff. And
then I think we just kind of feed off each other.
That's a hugely about our team culture. We just like
to pick each other up and that's something that they've
definitely been doing for me. They've been really supportive throughout
this whole thing. I think my optimism is also helping
them have faith in me, because it's not helpful when
(08:20):
everyone's just like negative and just everyone's just so sad
and like down about everything, because that's just not gonna
help everyone. So I think the fact that everyone's super
positive and supportive of each other, picking each other up
on an office field, I think has been huge in
this whole situation.
Speaker 3 (08:34):
Well, me and Hammetts again is with us, You're gonna
beat this.
Speaker 4 (08:38):
You know that, right, I have complete whole faith.
Speaker 3 (08:42):
Absolutely, we are. We are. We are pulling for you
big time.
Speaker 2 (08:47):
You're going to beat this like you beat Iowa in
the Big Ten last year with those three penalty shootouts.
Speaker 3 (08:53):
I remember that game. How cool was that for you
to be a part of that?
Speaker 2 (08:57):
In me to talk about you're one of the Big
ten because we talked some u about your basketball team
and the football team, but.
Speaker 3 (09:03):
You guys kicked ass and you're one of the Big ten.
Tell me about that.
Speaker 4 (09:07):
Yeah, the Big town was crazy. That was not one
of my first year playing, but it's also our first
year traveling to so many different places and playing all
these new teams, and honestly, like my team really got
me through that. Like I there's a quote in the
Seattle Times, like I think it's like if I'll do
my job, if you do your job. That was like
the main basis of the Iowa game, Like I'll do
(09:28):
my part if you do your part. And that was
just kind of like the model of the whole season
as well. Like I feel like we, like I said before,
we just carry each other. And like after traveling so
many weeks in a road is so many far places,
like a lot of teams would get sick of each other,
but my team did not. We stuck with each others
the whole way through. And that game just shows like
we could do hard things, like we were an to
push through so much diversity, like traveling all the way
(09:51):
over there, playing throughout greater time, extra time in Paloty Kicks,
Like I could not ask for a better team and
better support for that game.
Speaker 2 (10:00):
Well, we just put a link out to the go
fund me fundraiser on my Twitter account at softy Kjar.
You just you just sent me something on Instagram and
I have no idea how this works on IG by
the way, so I got to figure it out. But
me has got a Twitter or a IG account at
mea kicks Cancer if you want to give her a
follow on Instagram, if you want to check out the
go fund me fundraiser on my Twitter account at softy
(10:25):
Kjar that are over ninety seven thousand dollars already, which
is just unbelievable. So hey, go kick this thing's ass,
all right, and we'll talk down the road. Appreciate you doing,
Thank you, best to luck all right, we're thinking about you.
Speaker 4 (10:37):
Of course, Thank you so Mutch you guys, it's been great, Yeah.
Speaker 3 (10:39):
Very cool. That's awesome, Mia Hammonton.
Speaker 2 (10:41):
Again, the way people have rallied on social media to
support her has been really really really cool.
Speaker 3 (10:46):
So on her.
Speaker 2 (10:47):
Attitude, Yeah try bee whodos to everybody by the way
who's been a part of this and helping a proper up,
because it's been pretty cool to see.
Speaker 3 (10:54):
All Right, we're going to break
Casting live from the R and R Foundation specialist broad
Jasts studio. Now back to Softie and Dick, powered by
Emerald Queen Casino, the vetty and capital of the Northwest
on sports Radio Nutties three point three kjr FF.
Speaker 2 (00:17):
All right, boys and girls, we're back on a Friday
night right here on ninety three three KJRFM from Cheney
Stadium in Tacoma, getting ready for the Rainiers and Rivercats
at seven o five doors a flung open. The fans
are moving into the park as we speak here on
ninety three to three KJRFM. But we're going away from
baseball for a second because joining us right now on
the radio show one of the best goalkeepers in women's
(00:38):
college soccer.
Speaker 3 (00:39):
And when I say that, I really mean that.
Speaker 2 (00:42):
She had an eight eighty two save percentage last year,
which was the third lowest in the country. She's also
an academic all district student off the pitch as well,
but now she's in the fight of her life. You
may have heard about this on social media. We wanted
to get her on to hear her story and have
her talk to us. From the Husky women's soccer team,
(01:02):
goalkeeper Mia Hammond is with us on the show Mia
Happy Friday.
Speaker 3 (01:06):
What's going on?
Speaker 4 (01:08):
Not much, I'm happy to be here.
Speaker 3 (01:10):
Yeah, well, we're excited to have you on the air.
Speaker 2 (01:13):
Before we talk soccer and before we get to everything
happening with your favorite sports, give people an idea of
what your life is like now, right. I mean, if
you have the rain game earlier this year, you go
to Spain, I believe you were on that trip as well,
and then you come home and you get some news
about an aggressive form of kidney cancer and everything kind
(01:34):
of just gets put on hold. So tell us about
what your life is like now. What it's been like
the last couple of months for you since your diagnosis.
Speaker 4 (01:43):
Yeah, totally, it's been a crazy few past months. Yeah,
about two months ago I started selling pre ill. I
had a really bad cough, and like you said, I
went to Spain and I fell ill in Spain as well,
and we're just kind of confused with aught it was
an infection or something. But I came back and then
one morning I was just having a lot of chest pains,
(02:04):
just like shortness of breath, and so I ended up
going to the hospital where we later found out that
I had this kidney cancer that happened over the stand
of a few weeks. But I got chemo, my first
sound of chemo a few weeks ago, and before that
I was just really in bad shape. I wasn't doing well.
But now I feel better than ever. I sound great,
(02:24):
I feel great. My friends had said, I have color
back in my face. So yeah, it's been a great
few weeks after chemos. So really happy about that.
Speaker 5 (02:34):
Well, And you always seem to look at the bright side.
You've obviously got a great level of optimism about you.
Speaker 3 (02:40):
How about battling this disease.
Speaker 5 (02:42):
Maybe in the best place in the country to win
the battle over this disease. I mean, this is the
place you want to be if you're sick in Seattle.
Speaker 4 (02:49):
Right, one hundred percent? Yeah, you did. Medicine has been great,
Fred hutch has been great even before on my treatment.
All the doctors are just saying how great of hands
I'm in, And that has just been really reassuring because obviously,
like I'm not a doctor, I don't really know what's
going on, but just to hear that I'm having the
best doctors take care of me and look after me,
and everyone behind the scenes is also in pushing for me.
To get the best care possible. It just makes me
(03:10):
feel really loved and just makes you feel like I
can beat this even more than I always believe I can.
Speaker 2 (03:15):
Yeah, Well, me and Hammond's again from the uw women's
soccer team is fighting an aggressive form of kidney cancer.
We're going to help get the word out for the
go fund me fundraiser in just a moment. But you
mentioned something there mea that I've heard now from a
couple of people today kind of getting ready for the interview,
that you don't really know what's going on. And it's
almost like that ignorance is on purpose, that you don't
(03:37):
want to know what's going on, like your parents know
more than you do. There's a lot of people out
there that are currently fighting cancer, right, millions of people
that are fighting this, and they might hear you and
hear your approach and wonder why you're doing it the
way you're doing it and why you want to be
kept in the dark about some stuff.
Speaker 4 (03:57):
Yeah, honestly, it started as it just stems from fear
of knowing, because no twenty year old expects to just
have this cancer diagnosis much less like like when you're
in twenty you feel invincible, and especially a stud await
as well, like if I could play talk or I
could do anything like that's just my mindset, so just
like it comes from a place of fear and not
(04:18):
knowing you're invisible anymore. But it's like a known thing
at my appointments now that I just want to hear
the synopsis here all like the just the general news,
and then I'm out for the details. I cannot know
because if I know more details, if I know the
survival rate, anything, I just I just feel like that
just diminishes my hope and diminishes my optimism. And the
(04:40):
funny thing for me too is I didn't know what
stage cancer I had until the go fund me came
out because in a little blurb it says I have
stage four cancer that I had no idea. So even
that was a shock after a few weeks of just
having this diagnosis. So Anti has helped me a lot.
And if I would recommend anything to someone who's going
through this, if not knowing would help you, then it
worked for me. So yeah, that's all I have to say.
Speaker 5 (05:02):
Well, Mia, you tweeted this week you said the love
and support I've already seen has been surreal. Can you
tell us a story, give us an anecdote, you know
what has really touched you. Was there a moment or
something that someone did for you.
Speaker 4 (05:15):
Yeah, well it started with they will fund me, and
like I post on Instagram just kind of announcing this,
and this one girl from you to have reached out
to me, and it is like I'm a college student
as well, Like I have just got diagnosis past December,
and I've been fighting for the fighting this and it's
just like it's really isolating just not being around a
(05:36):
lot of people my age who have dealt with this
and like had personal experiences and stuff, because you, like
I said before, no two year old expects to get
this diagnosis. So just like all the personal anecdotes I've
heard from people who I don't even know and whatnot,
that has been amazing. And then also the support from
the softball community and the sports community in general, especially
in college athletics, has been outstanding. Like the softball team
(05:58):
put orange ribbons in their hair for me. That was amazing,
I know, idea that was happening. So just little things
like that are just really meaningful for me.
Speaker 2 (06:05):
Well, Mia Hammonds again from the U Deep soccer team
is with us on the air, and I mean, look me,
I'll be honest with you. I found out about what
was going on with you through social media, right, I mean,
it's just been unbelievable that just groundswellow support. And we
just got done doing a little contest on the air
to pick the most annoying fan base of all time,
and the Oregon Duck fans won, by the way, just
(06:27):
so you know, a full disclosure, right. But but you've
even got You've even got Oregon fans that are coming
to your defense. And I mean, did you notice that
that you've got Oregon people helping to raise money for you.
The go fund me is over ninety seven thousand dollars already,
and fans of teams that are supposed to be rivals
(06:48):
are coming to support you.
Speaker 3 (06:50):
I mean, what is that?
Speaker 1 (06:50):
Just?
Speaker 2 (06:51):
I hope that you're able to log onto social media
and see this stuff.
Speaker 4 (06:54):
Mia mm hmm, yeah, Perc. So many teams who will
be compete against in the past have just been reaching
out Oregon Soccer. I have close connections with them too.
Unfortunately we're rivals, but they've been super nice and supportive.
It's just insane, Like I said, The community, especially the
soft community, is so tight knit. The team we actually
lost to in the NCAA tournament, their team has been
(07:16):
reaching out to me. A lot of their players that
I played against and competed against just having reaching out
to me. Like it's like it's extending their support and whatnot.
And that's just insane that it's gone that far. And
like you said, yeah, it's just crazy that our rivals
are supporting me. I really appreciate it.
Speaker 5 (07:36):
I'm going to ask you to do something tough now.
I want you to pat yourself on the back, which
I'm sure is probably not easy for you to do.
But the Seattle Times article that was out yesterday said
that your teammates say that you inspire them on the field,
and I don't think they were really referring to like
your illness. They were just referring to.
Speaker 3 (07:52):
You as a person, as a teammate.
Speaker 5 (07:55):
What about your nature inspires your team?
Speaker 4 (07:59):
I think it's been my optimism. I think it's helped
a lot having my friends behind me and stuff. And
then I think we just kind of feed off each other.
That's a hugely about our team culture. We just like
to pick each other up and that's something that they've
definitely been doing for me. They've been really supportive throughout
this whole thing. I think my optimism is also helping
them have faith in me, because it's not helpful when
(08:20):
everyone's just like negative and just everyone's just so sad
and like down about everything, because that's just not gonna
help everyone. So I think the fact that everyone's super
positive and supportive of each other, picking each other up
on an office field, I think has been huge in
this whole situation.
Speaker 3 (08:34):
Well, me and Hammetts again is with us, You're gonna
beat this.
Speaker 4 (08:38):
You know that, right, I have complete whole faith.
Speaker 3 (08:42):
Absolutely, we are. We are. We are pulling for you
big time.
Speaker 2 (08:47):
You're going to beat this like you beat Iowa in
the Big Ten last year with those three penalty shootouts.
Speaker 3 (08:53):
I remember that game. How cool was that for you
to be a part of that?
Speaker 2 (08:57):
In me to talk about you're one of the Big
ten because we talked some u about your basketball team
and the football team, but.
Speaker 3 (09:03):
You guys kicked ass and you're one of the Big ten.
Tell me about that.
Speaker 4 (09:07):
Yeah, the Big town was crazy. That was not one
of my first year playing, but it's also our first
year traveling to so many different places and playing all
these new teams, and honestly, like my team really got
me through that. Like I there's a quote in the
Seattle Times, like I think it's like if I'll do
my job, if you do your job. That was like
the main basis of the Iowa game, Like I'll do
(09:28):
my part if you do your part. And that was
just kind of like the model of the whole season
as well. Like I feel like we, like I said before,
we just carry each other. And like after traveling so
many weeks in a road is so many far places,
like a lot of teams would get sick of each other,
but my team did not. We stuck with each others
the whole way through. And that game just shows like
we could do hard things, like we were an to
push through so much diversity, like traveling all the way
(09:51):
over there, playing throughout greater time, extra time in Paloty Kicks,
Like I could not ask for a better team and
better support for that game.
Speaker 2 (10:00):
Well, we just put a link out to the go
fund me fundraiser on my Twitter account at softy Kjar.
You just you just sent me something on Instagram and
I have no idea how this works on IG by
the way, so I got to figure it out. But
me has got a Twitter or a IG account at
mea kicks Cancer if you want to give her a
follow on Instagram, if you want to check out the
go fund me fundraiser on my Twitter account at softy
(10:25):
Kjar that are over ninety seven thousand dollars already, which
is just unbelievable. So hey, go kick this thing's ass,
all right, and we'll talk down the road. Appreciate you doing,
Thank you, best to luck all right, we're thinking about you.
Speaker 4 (10:37):
Of course, Thank you so Mutch you guys, it's been great, Yeah.
Speaker 3 (10:39):
Very cool. That's awesome, Mia Hammonton.
Speaker 2 (10:41):
Again, the way people have rallied on social media to
support her has been really really really cool.
Speaker 3 (10:46):
So on her.
Speaker 2 (10:47):
Attitude, Yeah try bee whodos to everybody by the way
who's been a part of this and helping a proper up,
because it's been pretty cool to see.
Speaker 3 (10:54):
All Right, we're going to break
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