COLUMBUS, Ohio — Westerville’s Gabby Hutcherson is committed to the sport of basketball for the love of the game, and the love of her mom.
It started with a mother's wish, for her daughter to grow up to set big goals and soar.
"Really what I wanted for Gabby was to blaze her own trail,” said Mindy Meeker. "And she did that."
Goals, documented by Gabby herself, back in elementary school.
"One of the reasons is because I grew up here and I think it would be a good college for me,” said Gabby, reading a letter she wrote herself.
"I save everything,” said Meeker.
When Gabby was little she'd also sneak into her mom's jewelry box – gaining possession of her Big Ten championship rings.
Her mom Mindy, played for the team in the late 1980s. Her stories – and tours of the locker room – sparked Gabby's fire to play for the same team her mom did.
"It's exciting. I go into practice every day and I see the years that she won conference champs and went to the NCAA Tournament. It's motivational. I want to do the same thing,” said Hutcherson.
Now a sophomore – Gabby and the team are playing to attempt to reach the Elite Eight in the NCAA Tournament Friday night.
"It's so fun,” said Meeker about watching her daughter play.
Meeker said it's something she didn't push for but always thought was possible.
And Gabby has shown herself: "All your goals are possible."
Right now Hutcherson is focused on staying healthy -- she had an issue with her knees and had to have surgery almost one year ago.