Pennsylvania nurse becomes first Black woman to play in U.S. Women’s polo championship
(NBC, KYMA/KECY) - Now to some history being made during Black History Month, a 25-year-old Pennsylvania nurse has become the first Black woman to play in the U.S. Women's polo championship.
When you think of polo, you might think of prep and posh, but Shariah Harris has a different story.
"My mom didn't have money for horses. It was the three of us and my mom. Horses are a very expensive sport and polo is even more expensive, so without the program, I never would've had access to any of it."
Shariah Harris, operating room nurse and polo player
Raised by a single mom in Upper Darby, Pennsylvania, Harris stumbled upon the nonprofit, Work to Ride, when she was eight. The program teaches kids from lower-income backgrounds to play polo.
"It taught me how to mature quickly because I was either the only girl, or when I left my team in high school to play in college, I was the only black person. Period," Harris explained.
And not just any college, she got to Cornell on a polo scholarship. Now, she just became the first black woman to play in the U.S. Women's polo championship during Black History Month no less.
"Butterfiles on a thousand, but once I started playing, it was business as usual," Harris shared.
She made it to the semifinals, and now is back working her day job as an operating room nurse at Lankenau Medical.
There might not be an obvious link between horses and nursing.
"I think it translates well because I would like to say I'm good under pressure," Harris further explained.
And now, whenever Harris attends Work to Ride's Annual Fundraising Polo Classic, she notices a lot more girls, and black girls, on the field. Her message to those young women is this: "If you don't see anyone who looks like you, that's okay. It might not feel okay at the time, but it's okay because you never know if you will be the catalyst."
