LOUISVILLE, Ky. — Kate Kaufling was described as a "joy" by those who knew her.
A sophomore at the University of Kentucky studying nursing and a member of the UK Dance team, Kaufling did it all.
The 20 year old was diagnosed with osteosarcoma, a type of bone cancer, in mid-2023. She fought a hard battle. But, on March 31, UK Athletics announced she had passed following her battle with the disease.
"That was a hard thing to hear," said Martha Tedesco, her former principal at Assumption High School (AHS). "She had just run the bell a few months ago. To have things turn so quickly, was super hard to hear."
Tedesco has worked at Assumption for 30 years, and a principal for 10.
Kaufling and her twin sister, Abbey, graduated from Assumption in 2022. They were both on the dance team.
"They do come in pairs and those two were so tight," Tedesco said. "If you saw Kate, you saw Abbey, if you saw Abbey, you saw Kate."
A sentiment evident when looking through the 2021-2022 Assumption yearbook, siblings being siblings. Abbey and Kate's pictures are situated right on top of one another on the page with their senior quotes.
Abbey's reads, "I'm only 9 minutes younger..."
And right underneath, Kate's reads, "Best 9 minutes of my life."
"These girls are my girls, I always feel that way here," Tedesco said.
The principal describes Kate as kind, positive, and lighthearted, saying she was a 4.0 student with a strong work ethic in everything she did.
"We tell them…go rule the world. We're teaching you how to go off and rule the world. Kate was doing that," Tedesco said.
In a statement, the UK Wildcats' head coach Dawn Walters said Kaufling was a joy to coach and be around.
“Her smile could light up a room and she was beloved by all of her UKDT teammates…We are all saddened by Kate's passing. We will remember her for the tough battle she fought with osteosarcoma over the past year. She was brave until the very end and all of us can draw inspiration from the courageous battle that she fought. Our thoughts, prayers and love are with the Kaufling family," Walters said.
Kaufling is remembered on a prayer wall in Assumption, in communities across Kentucky, and in so many hearts.
A link to a GoFundMe to benefit Kate's family can be found here.
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