University of Kentucky dance team member Kate Kaufling has tragically died after battling a rare form of bone cancer, athletic department officials said in a statement. She was just 20-years old.
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Kaufling noticed several lumps and swollen lymph nodes last June before being diagnosed with what is officially called osteosarcoma, according to a GoFundMe page in her honor.
"In addition to being a talented dancer, Kate was also an amazing student, in the College of Nursing, who took her academics very seriously," Sandy Bell, the university's executive associate athletics director, said in the release. "Even during her cancer treatments, Kate kept up with her studies, setting an amazing example for her teammates"
Coach Dawn Walters said Kaufling had a smile that could light up a room and was adored by her teammates. She joined the dance team in 2020 with twin sister, Abbey.
"We are all saddened by Kate's passing," Walters said. "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."
Photographer Mont Dawson shared photos of Kauflin on his Facebook page in what he described as an effort for "some peace and comfort and a reminder of the good times with our precious Kate Kaufling."
"I am often asked why I take so many pictures,' Dawson wrote. "Today, I am happy that I am the annoying photographer that takes so many pictures. I hope these memories I have captured eventually give Abbey Kaufling, Holly Reigel Kaufling and Steve some peace and comfort and a reminder of the good times with our precious Kate Kaufling."
Funeral arrangements are pending, Kentucky officials said in the news release, per the Courier-Journal.
"The drive, motivation, and balance she had for her extremely busy lifestyle absolutely fascinated me," Kaufling's friend Sydney Lanham wrote on Facebook last June following her diagnosis. "Not a day would go by during the school year where Kate would slack or take off."
