Katie Uhlaender's baseball support system

Katie Uhlaender has had a rough couple of years. She's suffered injuries, surgeries, and most challenging, the loss of her father Ted to cancer in 2009.

Ted Uhlaender was an outfielder for the Minnesota Twins, Cleveland Indians and Cincinnati Reds from 1965 to 1972. He and player-turned-manager Charlie Manuel were the best of friends, rising through the ranks of Major League Baseball together.

After Ted's death in 2009, his daugther Katie reached out to Manuel. The pair have formed a strong bond over stories of her father and the good old days of baseball.

When Katie competes, she wears a chain around her neck that holds Ted's 1972 NL championship ring from the Reds.