“You ask me what I want to do, well, I want to use the experience I’ve gained to help people make it.” — Steve Kelly, Inspirational Athlete of the Year
Steve Kelly lettered in football wrestling and track at Manheim Township, where he was a member of the Class of 1981. He co-captained the 1980 football team and was a Lancaster-Lebanon League All-Star in his junior and senior seasons. As a senior wrestler, he was the sectional and district champion at 185 pounds and was named Outstanding Wrestler in 1981.
Kelly was a three-year starter on the defensive line at the Air Force Academy and played in the 1983 and ’84 Independence Bowl games. He won the Falcons’ Brian Bullard Award for desire, leadership and determination.
Those accomplishments may pale in comparison to what he would accomplish after high school and college athletics. The former aviator battled through rehabilitation after a diagnosis of bone cancer to compete in triathlons and paracycling.