Celebrities Hit the Pitch in Support of We Will Survive Cancer
 Written by Middleburg Life Staff
On September 7, NFL legend Josh Norman and International Polo Tour founder and captain Tareq Salahi took to the polo pitch for a celebrity, charity polo match in support of We Will Survive Cancer at Twilight Polo Club in Middleburg. The event marked the 10th anniversary of the International Polo Tour’s Sunset Polo partnership with We Will Survive Cancer, a 501(c)(3) dedicated to reducing the financial burden on families struggling with a cancer diagnosis.
Middleburg Life caught up with Josh Norman and Tareq Salahi for their highlights from the event.
“We had some of the best arena polo players in the country involved … and we put on a great show of three different matches. The first match was a celebrity match, that featured Josh Norman,” shares Salahi.
Though no stranger to riding, this was Norman’s first crack at polo. Salahi explains, “He told me he had been riding his whole life. He has 30 horses down in Greenwood, South Carolina. So I said to him, ‘Have you ever thought about hitting the ball?'”
“I’m never not open to anything,” Norman says. He adds, “We Will Survive Cancer had come to one of my events, and I wanted to reciprocate that. But what’s crazy is I didn’t even know I was going to play polo until a week before.”
“I took him out the day before the match just to hit the ball around and make sure he was comfortable,” Salahi says. “And the guy never missed the ball once. He was just a natural at it. It was incredible. Within 10 minutes, he was cantering and hitting the ball from one end of the arena to the other.”
Salahi and Norman faced off in the first match of the night, and Salahi’s International Polo Team won by one point.
Of Norman’s performance, Salahi shares, “He played really well.” Norman was awarded the International Polo Tour We Will Survive Cancer Angel Award immediately following the match.
The following match-ups were equally exciting, with Scenic Cruise’s Hotels at Sea Luxury Cruises beating Emerald Cruises 11-5, and for the final match, Stella Artois won against Michelob Ultra with a score of 7-6.
“What a great night,” Salahi recalls, reflecting on the celebrity DJ, dancing, and generous sponsors. “The Four Seasons donated a luxury stay at their new Four Seasons property in Naviva, Mexico. That auction item alone raised $10,000 for We Will Survive Cancer.”
Salahi concludes, “It was an easy ‘yes’ to help [We Will Survive Cancer] raise money and raise awareness for their cause, and what better way to do it than with a fun sport like polo in the heart of one of the most beautiful parts of the country in Middleburg, Virginia.” ML
For more information about We Will Survive Cancer, visit wewillsurvivecancer.org.
Featured photo by Reno from TrueView.
Posted on: October 17, 2024