EMILY HSUEH
SHAWVILLE March 31, 2021
Leading professional careers in not one, but two sports, Kelly Raimon has made a name for herself after a long and accomplished career. Though she has travelled across the United States and played in countless competitions, the Pontiac High School alum said her time in the Pontiac shaped her into the athlete she is now.
Raimon, who was previously known as Kelly Schumacher in the Pontiac before she was married, attended PHS from 1990 – 1995 and was heavily involved in the athletic community. For her accomplishments from high school to present, she has been . . .
inducted into the PHS Athletic Hall of Fame as a master athlete.
“I thought it was really cool. I think it’s really nice that they do things like that. It’s cool to get the recognition from your hometown,” she said. “I think, overall, everything sort of started there for me. I didn’t know at the time, but now I can see how the Pontiac really helped me in my development.”
Raimon was originally from Cincinnati, Ohio, but moved to Bristol at the age of 11 after her mother and Canadian step-father married. From the suburbs of a bustling city to a log house on a wooded dirt road, Raimon experienced culture shock. However, she soon learned to love her new way of life, building forts, riding bikes and going to the cottage.
“Both [were] completely different lifestyles but we loved it.”
During her time at PHS, Raimon got her feet wet in any sport she was able to.
“The group of athletes sort of played like every sport for the high school. I think the only two sports that were in conflict for me to remember were basketball and rugby. So I didn’t play rugby, but I feel like I played everything else,” she recalled.
Her passion was strongest for both basketball and volleyball. She played both outside of school but ultimately focused more heavily on her basketball career.
“I just went into basketball and just kept rolling,” she said. “I wanted to play both at the same level, but they told me it was impossible because I think the seasons collide. So I just went with basketball, but I always had a burning desire to play.”
After leaving the Pontiac, Raimon’s career took off. From 1997 – 2001, she played NCAA Division 1 Women’s basketball at the University of Connecticut, being a key member of the team when they went to and won the 2000 NCAA championships — which Raimon described as one of her athletic highlights.
“It was just because like everything clicked in that championship game, I got recognition and things like that,” she said. “That was when it was a nine block shot. So that one really sticks out. I think, in my mind is like the first time that I was feeling like, ‘Yeah, I made it.’”
Basketball soon took her not only around America, but the world as well, representing team Canada at the William Jones cup in Taipei, Taiwan, the same year. Eventually she became part of the WNBA, playing in championship games with the Phoenix Mercury and Detroit Shock.
After a nine-year stint in the professional basketball scene Raimon decided to step off the court. But her time as an athlete was far from over, as she reignited her passion for volleyball, which never left her. It took her from California to Miami Beach, where she met her husband, Donnie Raimon, a trainer who helped her through a knee injury. She competed in 23 professional tournaments, eight of which saw her placed in the top ten.
Raimon said the switch between the two sports wasn’t a difficult one, and credits her time at PHS for easing the transition. She said playing so many sports helped train her body in different ways. For example, soccer helped with her footwork and agility.
“I think me not having to specialize in something so early helped me in my development for basketball and to be able to play volleyball later,” she said. “Nowadays, I find it a lot different. For, the kids that I see that are playing here … a lot of them are forced to specialize in a sport very young.”
This is something Raimon has emphasized as advice to youth who may want to pursue a career in sports.
“Keep your options open when you’re young. Like I was saying, I’m passionate about kind of dipping and dabbling in different sports to see what you’re good at. And not just kind of gravitating towards it, just because your friends are playing it or your parents want you to play.”
Next up for Raimon will be coaching a new team in the WNBA, the Dallas Wings, as their assistant coach. She has been coaching with the organization for the last four years, but is excited to be able to meet and work with new blood.
No matter how far Raimon goes, she looks back on her time in the Pontiac fondly and is grateful that the community is still supporting her to this day.
“I’m flattered that my name may still circulate in the Pontiac after being gone for so long. I think that’s what’s really neat,” she said. “Then it just got me thinking about all the people that helped me, going through high school and things like that, and sports, and it reminded me of Mr. Petty and Mr. Holmes, Mr. Thompson and Mrs. Davies; all these people that really helped with my sports career.”
