A few weeks ago, I was crammed into my classmate’s dorm room watching the Olympic hockey final. In the room were other Americans, some Canadians, a European. When the U.S. men’s and women’s teams both won gold at the 2026 Olympics, it was unreal. Overtime wins, celebrations, chirping left and right. For the first time ever, both teams took gold in the same Games. That last game was so incredible, I felt proud in a way that’s hard to explain. But what made it even better was who I was watching it with.

When the puck dropped, we were on opposite sides. When the game ended, we were all still teammates, (albeit some of us more bitter than others). I’ve watched the Olympics with family but this was the first time I was surrounded by friends and teammates. It amazes me how we can be at each other’s throats watching a game and then go back to being friends five minutes later. Some grudges but no hate.

March is Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month, and watching that game made me think about something bigger. Cancer doesn’t care what flag you stand for. It doesn’t care what language you speak or what country you’re from. It affects families in the U.S., in Canada, in Europe and everywhere.

Right now, the world feels like it’s a total mess. Everyone is arguing about everything. Politics, borders, voting, religion… But yelling at the TV with my teammates all mixed up from all over, I was reminded that we’re way more similar than we are different.

We all love the same sport. We all care about our families. And we all know someone whose life has been touched by cancer. The Olympic teams didn’t win because of one superstar. They won because of heart, trust and people playing their roles. Fighting cancer works the same way. Doctors, scientists, families, survivors and students like us all play a part. Awareness isn’t nearly as exciting as an overtime goal but it matters all the same.

Post about colorectal cancer this month. Wear blue. Start a conversation. Encourage the adults in your life to stay on top of screenings. Small actions are like small plays, they add up to a win.

Watching Team USA win gold was incredible. Watching my Canadian teammates lose with class and have a sense of humor about it was just as powerful. In beating cancer we’re all on the same team.