Kylie Ossege, Oxford school shooting survivor, is the walking embodiment of strength on and off the court

WATCH: The powerful TenniStory of Kylie Ossege (runtime 10:45)

Oxford Strong: to push through, overcome and stand tall—while at the same time, knowing how and when to ask for help. Because being able to ask for help shows great strength.

These are the words of Kylie Ossege, a young woman who is the walking embodiment of extraordinary strength in her hometown of Oxford, Mich.

Growing up, Ossege, a self-described athlete, flexed her physical gifts in multiple arenas, from basketball to equestrian. In the classroom, her sharp contributions led her to earn cum laude honors. But today, it’s the teenager’s will to survive—and courage to share her story—that reveal how remarkably strong Ossege truly is.

One of the girls that passed away, her name was Hana, she was right next to me at the time. I was trying all I could to help her, but I couldn’t move because my spinal cord was affected.

On November 30, 2021, Ossege went about her normal routine at Oxford High School. There was nothing unusual about how her day started and by lunchtime, she was reunited with friends. Waiting for their fifth-hour class to begin, screams abruptly filled the hallways.

As students frantically cleared out, Ossege went down. She was confused, unaware that a bullet had entered and exited her body.

“I was on the floor and I couldn’t move,” she shares with Tennis Channel. “One of the girls that passed away, her name was Hana, she was right next to me at the time. I was trying all I could to help her, but I couldn’t move because my spinal cord was affected.”

News of a school shooter swiftly made its way around the community. Anxious texts from Ossege’s mom, Marita, went unanswered. As Marita and her husband Matt checked Life360, the app indicated their daughter had left the school at a rapid rate of speed. There was only one location she could be headed.

Lying in the emergency room, Ossege couldn’t help but wonder what her future held.

“I didn’t know what I was capable of at that point, if I’d be able to walk again, paralyzed completely from the waist down,” reflects Ossege.

A shattered clavicle, two broken ribs and a spinal cord injury would require two months of intense physical therapy. On one occasion, Marita watched as Kylie’s shoulders twitched in her sleep.

“Were you just playing tennis in your dream?” Marita asked when Kylie awoke.

“I was!”

“We’ll get there.”

Ossege’s connection to the sport is one shared by many across the globe. While aunt Tesa Aragones had always hoped her niece would play, Kylie’s passion to wield a racquet didn’t blossom until the COVID-19 pandemic, when tennis was one of the few activities deemed safe for group participation. The casual activity turned more serious when Ossege opted to join her school’s team.

“I just had so much fun, I was like, ‘why not take it to another level?’”

Remembers coach Gayle Bailey, “She came out of nowhere. By the time I got her in 2021, she was playing really, really well.”

With a goal of getting back on the court, Ossege rebuilt strength by hitting off a wall. Her occupational therapist, Jennifer Nolan, was a former tennis player. As dad Matt recalls about the partnership, “It just seemed like from there, her recovery was exponential.”

An outpouring of support also aided in her recovery. Oxford’s women’s and men’s tennis teams surprised Ossege by gathering outside her hospital room window with a touching banner. Unexpected sources of encouragement followed. Aragones, who worked at Nike for 10 years, was floored when the brand organized a video message from four-time major champion Naomi Osaka.

“Hi Kylie, Naomi here. I just wanted to let you know I’m thinking about you. I’m sending all my positive love and positive vibes to you,” the former world No. 1 encouraged.

Billie Jean King, Madison Keys, Sloane Stephens and Coco Gauff also sent uplifting video messages. Two weeks later, Aragones received word that Osaka wanted to meet her niece.

“I was so surprised. She’s always been my biggest tennis inspiration,” says Ossege. “Not just because of tennis, but the way she’s so humble and kind. She puts her mental health first. I really look up to her for that.”

As the first survivor to speak out, Ossege transmitted compassionate strength by using her voice to inspire others that, they too, can be heard. On the court, Ossege spread motivating strength to her teammates when she successfully achieved her goal of competing again. And as someone who credits her medical family for “giving me my life back”, Ossege has unearthed transcendent strength by finding her purpose.

“I plan to study occupational therapy. That’s thanks to all my therapists. That’s how I want to live my life, helping people every day, just like they helped me.”

Oxford strong.