Leading the Pack: Remembering Kaelin Kersh
By Selika Sweet, M.D., FAAFP
JA Guest Writer
When I moved to Pearl, Mississippi, I never imagined it would become home. What first attracted me was its convenience. Pearl sits at the crossroads of Interstate 20 and Interstate 55, only minutes from the airport, making travel easy and accessible. But beyond the highways and location, I discovered something far more meaningful: a close-knit community deeply rooted in family, tradition, and pride.
Most people in Pearl are born and raised there. Generations grow up together, worship together, compete together, and remain connected for life. I was the outsider of Jackson, trying to help my children find their place in a town where everyone already seemed to know one another. Since my daughter and son attended Catholic schools, I enrolled them in Pearl City sports and activities so they would build friendships and become part of the community’s fabric.
Not long after arriving, I began hearing stories about the legendary Coach George Kersh, the hometown hero who had narrowly missed making the Olympic team by a single second. In Pearl, I quickly learned something important. Joseph Kennedy raised presidents. Archie Manning raised football players. Pearl, Mississippi, raised runners.
My daughter Denise first raced Kaelin Kersh when they were young. Denise beat her once and only once. I still remember the expression on Coach Kersh’s face after that race.
Denise laughed and reminded me, “Mom, I’m two years older than Kaelin.”
The next time Kaelin stepped onto the track, age no longer mattered. She left Denise and everyone else behind. She did not simply run. She floated. Long strides, effortless movement, gracefulness, and fearless, like a deer leading the pack through open fields. She was a beautiful sight to see.
The girls crossed paths constantly. They even played basketball together through Pearl City Sports, although never on the same team. Looking back now, I understand why. Both girls were disciplined, coachable, hardworking, and fiercely competitive. In city league sports, coaches try to spread the talent around to keep the teams balanced. Kaelin and Denise were competitors, but they were also products of the same culture that made Pearl special.
Running was woven into the town’s identity.
Kaelin went on to Mississippi State University after winning the Mississippi 5A State Championship in the 800 meters. Denise became the Mississippi 2A State Champion in the 800 and later earned a cross country and track scholarship to Loyola University, where she broke the school’s 800-meter record. Denise’s personal best in the 800 was 2:27. Kaelin’s remarkable personal best was 2:14.84, a time that reflected extraordinary talent, discipline, and determination.
Then came the news none of us expected.
Kaelin died in a tragic automobile accident in Starkville during the early morning hours of May 7, 2017, only hours after Mississippi State’s graduation celebrations. She graduated that Friday with a degree in kinesiology and health fitness studies. Her death stunned not only Pearl, but runners, coaches, athletes, and families throughout Mississippi.
When I told Denise what had happened, our thoughts immediately turned to the Kersh family and the unimaginable pain of losing someone so young and full of promise. Athletes like Kaelin make you a better athlete, but more importantly, they make you a better person. Yes, we compete against ourselves, but we are also shaped by the people we compete against. Great competitors challenge us, inspire us, and quietly pull greatness out of everyone around them.
Out of tragedy came change. In 2018, Mississippi passed the “Kaelin Kersh Act,” which requires emergency vehicles traveling more than 30 miles per hour above the posted speed limit to use flashing emergency lights. The law was signed by Governor Phil Bryant on April 13, 2018, and took effect on July 1, 2018. Kaelin’s legacy extended far beyond the track. Even in death, her life helped make Mississippi’s roads safer for others.
One day, when Denise was only seven years old, she looked around at another sporting event and said, “Mom, every activity we go to, it’s the same people.”
I smiled and told her, “Right. This is the pack you want to run with, live with, and call your friends.”
And Kaelin Kersh always led the pack.
Rest in peace, Kaelin Kersh. Thank you for the memories, the competition, the example, and the legacy you left behind.
