What do the four goals Florida midfielder Lais Araujo scored in the Gators’ past two games have in common?
Lauren Evans knows.
“Before the season started, I told (Evans) that every goal I scored would be for her,” Araujo said after UF’s match against LSU, in which Araujo found the back of the net in the 50th minute. Araujo held up an “L” for Evans as she ran across the field in celebration, but it wasn’t the only honor given to the sophomore midfielder who beat leukemia a few months prior.
The starting lineup trotted out onto the field to have its names called out to the crowd, mere hours before she was to attempt the world record for most selfies taken in three minutes.
While LSU came out to the middle of the pitch with its starting 11 players, the Florida Gators trotted out with 12, bringing Evans out with them to the center of the pitch.
After the announcer called the names of the Gators who’d kick the game off, he called out Evans’ name to the eruption of the crowd.
“I’d kinda been waiting for that moment for people to realize what I went through,” Evans said after the game. “It means a lot to me that people were here not only to watch my team play, but be there for me.”
Evans was there to break the selfie record and to raise awareness for pediatric cancer. After all was said and done at Donald R. Dizney Stadium in Gainesville, the Gators had accomplished far more than victory.
The Preparation
It was the team’s marketing director, Steven Donlan, that first pitched the idea to Evans.
“When we were doing photoshoot pictures, I took a selfie,” Evans said. “He was like, ‘Oh, there’s a world record out there for 168 selfies in three minutes.’”
Donlan reasoned that after the match against the Tigers, where the team would be raising awareness for pediatric cancer, the attempt would greatly help the cause.
Initially, her practice was limited to taking selfies with UF forward Deanne Rose in her room, but as the big day got closer she made sure to change up her routine. Evans practiced her selfie skills four days during the week of the game, but she didn’t do it alone.
“I practiced with gymnastics, swimming, with my team, some people in the Hawkins Center like baseball and football,” she said. “So I think people knew what to do.”
Members from those teams came out to aid in Evans’ record attempt, but she was also helped out by some unexpected participants.
The Attempt
When the fans who had watched the game, and the many UF athletes who’d come to support Evans, lined up to be a part of the record, they were joined by the LSU Tigers soccer team and staff, who the Gators had just defeated in a 4-1 win.
“That meant a lot to me, knowing that it’s way more than competition,” Evans said. “People are willing to help out when it comes to pediatric cancer, and I think that game raised a lot of awareness.”
Once the horn sounded off for Evans to begin her challenge, the scene quickly became frantic. Fans and players alike quickly stood to Evans’ side as she snapped photo after photo. Injured defender Rachelle Smith made sure to guide people in the right direction after they’d taken the photo to achieve maximum efficiency with her shots.
Once the time had come and gone and the results had been counted, however, the announcer had to deliver the bad news.
Evans had been 22 shots short. She ended her run with 147 selfies. She needed 169 to break the world record.
The crowd was somber, but Evans was undeterred, as she’d accomplished the most important mission of the day. After the SEC competition in Gainesville, Evans showed that there’s so much more than sports, and the impact she had on the fans and her team on Sunday was unmistakable.
“I’m so proud of her,” defender Courtney Douglas said after the game. “Her progress was amazing.”
You can follow River Wells on Twitter @riverhwells or contact her at rwells@alligator.org.
Lauren Evans sits with her father, Jerome, at UF Health Shands, where she was receiving cancer treatment. Currently cancer free, Evans attempted to break the selfie world record Sunday after the Florida soccer team's win over LSU in effort to raise awareness for pediatric cancer.
