Coupeville Sports

   Coupeville running Jedi Abby Parker (left) teaches her moves to her young padawan. (Kathy O’Brien photo)

   Parker, who runs faster when her shoelaces are untied, works on hand-offs with CHS relay mate Mckenzie Meyer. (John Fisken photos)

Imparting joy to the universe (and volleyball teammate Kayla Rose).

Joy, above all.

Abby Parker is the real deal — a smart, strong young woman already super successful at 17, and headed to unimaginable achievements.

But the first thing you notice about the Coupeville High School junior, before you see her determination, her commitment, her grit, her spine of steel, is how she interacts with others.

With her teammates, her friends, her family or with random people she passes while she’s busy doing the million-and-a-half things she seems to accomplish every day.

And what you see, every time, is the joy she brings to this world, and others in it.

It’s not just mere happiness, though she pretty much always seems happy, but something far deeper.

Abby seems to approach every challenge, every obstacle, with a can-do attitude, and the joy she exhibits is truly infectious.

Running, which seems to have become her sport of choice (she’s also skilled in volleyball, basketball and probably any activity you might pick), is not for the faint of heart.

It can rip your body up, tear away at your legs, your muscles, your psyche.

It can deliver huge highs and huge lows, and it takes a special kind of person to embrace it the way Parker does.

Look at the photos of her in action during track season or at one of the many real-world running events she haunts on a regular basis, and you’ll see both sides.

I’ve seen photos of Abby leaving her soul on the oval, trying to trim one more second, lean just a bit harder, reach for a PR at any cost.

In those photos, her face shows the strain, but also (and this is bigger) her willpower. She does not back down, ever.

In other photos, you see the joy she gets from competing, whether she’s flying down a track or splashing through bubbles or clouds of paint.

And we’re right back to joy, which is never far away when Parker is nearby.

As she celebrates her birthday today and prepares to head into another school year, let’s wish her all the best.

Because that’s what she is — one of the best.

Abby, you are a sparkling ray of sunshine, and Coupeville would not be the same without you.

Happy birthday, Miss Parker, and may you always get back just as much joy as you give to the world.

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