Cancer Survivor, Preds Fanatic Trace Kimler Now Ready to Give Back

When Trace Kimler was diagnosed with Ewing's Sarcoma of the left scapula in November 2008, plenty could have gone through his head. The avid hockey player and passionate Nashville Predators fan could have thought about the fact that his life was about to drastically change. Or that he might never play hockey again. But instead, a very different thought flashed through his brain as doctors delivered his diagnosis - and it wasn't about himself.
"I don't even remember hearing the diagnosis. I just remember my mom's face," Kimler said. "I didn't have any real worries about it at the time, as weird as that sounds. I wanted to be stronger for her. So I think the words I'd use were, 'Don't worry mom, I got this.'"

At just 13 years old, Kimler noticed an orange mass on his left shoulder. After consulting with numerous doctors, he was eventually diagnosed with cancer just two days after his 13th birthday. What came next for the Hendersonville, Tennessee, native was a battle with 14 rounds of chemotherapy, 28 rounds of radiation treatment and a difficult decision regarding his left scapula.
Without getting his scapula removed via a scapulectomy, he would leave the threat of cancer returning on the table. But without a scapula, his love for playing sports and hockey could be at jeopardy. That wasn't a risk Kimler and his family wanted to take. And the 13-year old didn't let his scapulectomy stop him from still hitting the ice.
"I enjoyed playing hockey, being active. I wasn't planning on a professional career or anything, but I didn't know what it was going to look like [without my left scapula]," Kimler said. "The doctors just said I'm not going to be able to do a whole lot of anything, at least not the same way. But I figured it wasn't worth risking your life for and it ended up working out in the end. I still played hockey. I can still do everything normal people can do. I just can't give you a non-awkward high-five."
In between his three to five days a week spent at Vanderbilt Children's Hospital, Kimler leaned on the power of hockey and the compassion of the Predators to battle his way through cancer. His partnership with the Preds began on March 24, 2009, when he served as the stick boy during warm-ups at the Preds game against the Anaheim Ducks.
Kimler received a game puck, a signed poster and one of Dan Ellis' goalie sticks that night in 2009. But little did he know that many more unique experiences would soon come his way.
From impromptu walk-ins at the cancer clinic from former Preds forward Jordin Tootoo to serving as the Hockey Fights Cancer ambassador for a matchup between the Preds and the Blackhawks in October 2009, Kimler became a part of Nashville's organization in more ways than one.
"It felt like I just became a part of the team. I would just see the guys on almost too regular of a basis. Too regular to be normal if that makes sense," Kimler said. "Jordin Tootoo came through the clinic one day when I was getting treated, unannounced. I was the Hockey Fights Cancer ambassador and I got to drop the puck that night. I remember it was Steve Sullivan and Patrick Sharp for the Blackhawks, and Sullivan gave me the stick and I can't even remember what was going through my mind at the time."
Preds fans and staffers who were in attendance will not soon forget that night and the touching image of young Trace holding a stick above his head as he strutted off the red carpet following puck-drop.

"Everyone on the Predators was just so nice. They all showed so much support, and it helped me to forget everything that I was going through at the time," Kimler said. "So, I don't look back on treatment or anything with any bad memories. I really don't. I made tons of relationships I'm still using now. I've gotten to do so many cool things and the Predators were a massive part of that."
Following numerous interactions with his favorite NHL club, Kimler moved on to even bigger and better things - the Olympics. Thanks to inspiration from his father - as attending the Olympics was his idea - and some help from Make-A-Wish, Kimler's dream of attending a United States hockey game came true in 2010.
He was afforded the chance to travel to Vancouver to take in various competition at the Winter Games, including the USA's 6-1 semifinal-victory over Finland and the Gold Medal Game between the Americans and the Canadians.
Although the United States dropped that final outing to Canada in thrilling fashion, Kimler witnessed one of his favorite professional athletes, Sidney Crosby, score the game-winning goal and now looks back on the experience with nothing but positive memories. He skied, snowboarded, took in some ski-jumping and of course, got to watch his favorite sport on its most elite stage.
"No one gets to do this. That's an actual once-in-a-lifetime thing," Kimler said. "But still just being there was unbelievable. And I tend to forget that. That's such a huge, huge deal. It felt at the time, with everything I was doing with the Predators and Make-A-Wish, it felt almost normal. So, I have to kind of remind myself that not everyone gets to do that. So I'm truly blessed to have gotten to do that."
This perspective is exactly what Kimler took with him from his battle with cancer. And it's this perspective that has launched him into a career that has one central focus: caring for others just like himself.
Going through his diagnosis and treatment, Kimler was lucky enough to have a set of incredible doctors and nurses at Vanderbilt Children's Hospital. Those relationships that he formed and the care that he was given has motivated him to seek a career in pediatric oncology.
"I made Vanderbilt Children's Hospital my home. I was there three to five days out of the week, every other week," Kimler said. "So all the staff there, I wouldn't be here if not for them. They're truly incredible, and they're better people than they are doctors, which says a lot because they're incredible doctors."
In May 2022, he will graduate from Meharry Medical College right here in Nashville. He has already completed a rotation in pediatric oncology and is preparing to lean on his experiences to help patients of all ages and backgrounds fight the fight that he knows all too well.
"I've already done an away rotation in pediatric oncology getting to do exactly what I've always dreamed of, which is being there for those kids of all ages, whether they're newborns, in elementary school or about to graduate high school," Kimler said. "To be there to tell them, 'Hey, I know you feel super alone right now, but I actually know what you're going through. Everyone's journey is different. But if you need to talk to anyone about anything, whether it's what losing your hair is like, what treatment is going to be like or if you just need to basically scream at something for 15 minutes, I'm here to listen to you.' That feeling of being there for someone else and connecting with them on that is just - it's out of this world. You can visually see them realize that they aren't alone. They aren't fighting this battle as the only ones going through it."
Kimler sat with his mother just 13 years ago and took in the news of his cancer diagnosis and he immediately thought of others. Now, after beating cancer, fostering a wholesome partnership with the Predators and training for many years, Kimler is finally ready to sit on the other side of those hard conversations while still keeping others on the top of his mind.
"Getting the perspective I have now that I've been on both sides of the patient/physician relationship - getting to see the difference has been incredible," he said. "My experience is very different from all the patients that I've worked with and their experiences are all different from everyone else's. Like I said, every journey is different, but the battle is still the same."
This Saturday, the Predators will host the Arizona Coyotes in the first of two Hockey Fights Cancer nights this season at Bridgestone Arena. $10 of every ticket purchased will be donated to the 365 Pediatric Cancer Fund presented by Twice Daily.
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