By Rich Winter

605 Sports

WINNER — In mid-January, Winner resident Tresh Swedlund made the announcement on social media that he had been diagnosed with cancer. It didn’t take long for the community to rally around a businessman who has coached many youth basketball programs. 

Swedlund had been coaching his daughter Lela’s third-grade travel team and it didn’t take long for team mom Shelly O’Connor to get her and her daughter Sytha involved. When the girls traveled to Avon last weekend, the entire team, including interim coach Luke Littau sported the ribbons.

“The O’Conner’s made ribbons for all the girls and coach Littau and they all thought it was amazing,” Jenn Fiesterman, another team mom, said. “There was no hesitation and they just said go team with the mantra of ‘We are playing for Tresh.’”

Members of Tresh Swedlund's third grade travel team show their support for their coach - Courtesy Photo

When Winner High School senior Ava Craven heard the news of the cancer diagnosis the wheels of her mind immediately went into motion. After pondering how she could help the injured Winner senior decided to make two-sided signs to share the well wishes from Winner high school. 

The signs had various ‘get well’ messages on the front that when turned around formed the words “Go Tresh.”

“Tresh is my uncle and he has always been very supportive of me and everything that’s happened in my life,” Craven said. “He was my coach in elementary school and helped start my love for basketball. I felt like it was just one of the ways that we could let him know we are here through difficult times.” 

Tresh Swedlund has been coaching youth girls teams since his daughter Bella, now on the basketball team at Valparaiso University, was nine-years old. Bella Swedlund learned of her father’s cancer diagnosis earlier this semester. 

“It was pretty difficult that Monday when my parents called and said they were going to go to Sioux Falls,” Bella Swedlund said. I was pretty shaky and I didn’t sleep much for the next few days,” 

The former Winner all-stater wasn’t sure she would come home at first, but, upon urging from the Valparaiso coaching staff she made the trek to Sioux Falls. Bella Swedlund met her father, her mother Sara, and three younger sisters at the hospital and called it a very emotional experience. 

“He shed a tear and to see him like that made us scared,” Bella Swedlund said. “He told us there is nothing to worry about. He said this sucks right now but I’ve come to fight and that’s what he instilled in us.” 

Tresh Swedlund's third grade girls team wore 'Team Tresh' headbands during a recent tournament - Courtesy Photo

About a week after the initial diagnosis, Tresh Swedlund posted this on a social media account. 

“Well, here we are. In one week’s time my family’s life has been not just shaken, but rattled hard,” he said. “But we will have faith and persevere. That’s what we do. That’s what we stand for.”

Swedlund’s initial social media post had hundreds of likes and comments as a small town rallied around one of their own. 

Bella Swedlund called her father a “tough son-of-a-gun,” and while she said her father won’t admit it, all those people reaching out probably made him cry.

“It touched him and he’s been going through some pretty tough things,” Bella Swedlund said. “We joke that having four girls made him soft but it’s that kind of support from other players and friends and family that means the world to him. I always knew that my dad had a huge impact but to see all of the support on his social media posts well that was just amazing.”