Penn State men's soccer defender Grady Renfrow knows what it feels like to not be able to play his favorite sport.

"It was almost a year ago today that I was diagnosed with leukemia," he said. "I didn't know what to expect ... I was really scared."

Renfrow (sophomore-business) said the key to his recovery was his positive attitude and defiant stance in the face of the disease.

"I was really frustrated at times," he said. "At times I would ask, 'Why did this have to happen to me?' However, I learned to roll with the punches, and now that I look back on it, I believe that it helped me more than anything."

Although he redshirted this past season, Renfrow's return to the soccer team was a feat of determination.

"By the time I got out of the hospital, I couldn't really walk, and it took a while to get my strength back," he said. "When I got back, my coaches didn't really know what to tell me, so I did my own thing. I was surprised -- I thought it would take longer to get my leg strength back."

Renfrow said at this year's Interfraternity Council/Panhellenic Dance Marathon, he used his experiences to communicate with and relate to the Four Diamonds children and families on a different level.

"I've done a lot of talking with one [particular] kid -- we've gone through a lot of the same stuff, and we've been sharing stories," Renfrow said. "He plays soccer too, and I wanted him to know that I got through this, and I'm back playing soccer."

At noon Saturday, Rec Hall's South Gym was filled with Penn State athletes who came together for the Athlete Hour, where Penn State athletes interact and play with Four Diamonds children and their families.

Many Penn State sports teams were represented, including the football, field hockey, volleyball, dance, tennis and golf teams, as well as the cheerleading squad.

Penn State football player Nick Daise (junior-turfgrass science) tossed a ball to a different kind of teammate -- a child who was giggling and barely grazed four feet tall.

"I think that our position as athletes puts us up on a pedestal," he said. "Being here reaches out to the kids and sets an example."

The South Gym was buzzing with action as each team played a different sport or worked activity booths.

Tessa Rivera, an 11-year-old Four Diamonds child, shouted "duck, duck, goose" as she ran around a circle of women's soccer team players.

"Tessa has had chemotherapy and open heart surgery, but she loves coming to Thon and thrives on it," Ed Rivera, Tessa's father, said.

"We look forward to Athlete Hour because it gives a little break from the big crowds, and the kids can interact in a casual setting," he added.