This episode of Blacklight On Sports centers a story that reaches beyond competition and into the deeper lessons that shape a life: perseverance, community responsibility, and the power of showing up for others when it matters most.
Hosted by Dr. Mitchell Palmer McDonald, this episode features Rosalyn Smaller, a former standout track and field athlete, business owner, child care provider, community advocate, and breast cancer survivor who turned personal adversity into sustained support for others.
The full video podcast is embedded above this story.
A Legacy of Speed and Discipline
Smaller’s athletic journey began early. Growing up in Maplewood, she quickly became known for her speed, earning medals and ribbons as a child and setting the pace through elementary and junior high track meets. By junior high, she was already setting records at John Glenn Junior High School.
When she reached high school, her coach was her uncle, Floyd Smaller, a name many in the community recognize through athletics and leadership. Smaller described a defining moment in her 10th-grade year when she ran against the team’s fastest athlete at the time and emerged as the top sprinter.
Her success carried into college, where she earned a track scholarship to Lincoln University and competed at a higher level before returning home after a couple of years.
Throughout the episode, she reflects on what athletics taught her, especially the mindset of working hard, pushing forward, and striving to be her best in every area of life.
Work With Children and a Turn Toward Caregiving
Smaller’s career path also reflects a consistent commitment to youth and family. She spoke about working as a school bus driver, then moving into education through roles in Minneapolis and St. Paul schools, including supporting students who were not in mainstream classrooms.
She later served as a children’s coordinator at a homeless shelter, a role that placed her in the center of community needs and family instability. That work, she shared, strengthened her belief in showing up for children and creating spaces where young people feel supported.
After being diagnosed with breast cancer, her life shifted again. Following treatment, she opened a child care program, grounding her work in the same steady values that guided her athletic life: consistency, purpose, and care.
Cancer, Recovery, and Refusing to Quit
One of the episode’s most powerful themes is Smaller’s approach to survival. She spoke plainly about the mental shift required after diagnosis and the determination it took to keep going through chemo and radiation while continuing to do what she could to stay active, regain strength, and rebuild her health.
She described recovery as a process that demanded discipline, including fitness, nutrition, and commitment to restoring her body.
Throughout the conversation, she returns to a consistent message: keep fighting, do not give up, and take life one day at a time.
Butterflies for Life and the Work of Supporting Others
Smaller also shared the story behind her foundation, Butterflies for Life Support Network, which focuses on supporting women before, during, and after treatment. The organization’s work includes assembling faith baskets with items meant to provide comfort and encouragement, from journals and healing items to donated supplies that can be delivered to women going through treatment.
She described how the organization adapted over time after personal losses and transitions in leadership, and how she continued supporting survivors through outreach, cards, and delivering baskets when she learned someone was going through chemo or radiation.
A core theme in her reflection is what it means for someone who is sick to receive a call, a card, a meal, or a simple reminder that they are not alone.
Family, Community, and the Importance of Black Leadership
Smaller spoke about the role of family support in her life, describing a large extended family and the culture of encouragement and accountability that shaped her perseverance.
She also discussed the importance of Black role models and leadership, especially for Black youth. Her work in child care and community life, she explained, is rooted in teaching, giving back, and helping young people see what is possible through discipline and service.
A Life Built on Service
As the episode closes, Smaller offers a message grounded in endurance and hope. She encourages people to keep their dreams alive, to ask questions without fear, and to seek help early when facing health challenges.
This episode of Blacklight On Sports offers more than a biography. It is a conversation about what it means to live with purpose, to build community through care, and to turn survival into service.