In this week's edition of This Hits Different, Shelby Cassesse tells the Fan Morning Show about Uniontown junior Payton Hostetler, who excels in sports, band and in the classroom despite being diabetic.
Know a high school student-athlete overcoming tough odds, excelling in their sport, or helping out their community? Submit a This Hits Different idea here.
Uniontown runner persevering through diabetes
Payton Hostetler has a packed calendar.
The Uniontown junior maintains a perfect GPA, runs cross country and track, plus he plays on the drumline in the marching band. He also has what he calls a full-time job, but not in the way you might think.
"Giving myself a bolus of insulin for everything that I eat, eating when my blood sugar is low," he said. "It's just always watching and making sure that the level is where it needs to be."
Payton was diagnosed with Type 1 Diabetes when he was six years old. His mother Tiffany says Payton's teacher at the time mentioned he was running to the bathroom a lot. Only a few days later, the Hostetlers were at the hospital.
"Almost a little over ten years ago, we were at a hayride and he just was not himself," she said. "We took him to MedExpress and they said 'you need to go to the hospital right away.'"
At first, it was an adjustment for everyone.
"When he was six it was definitely a challenge," Tiffany said. "He didn't understand what was going on, why he had to do what he had to do."
Payton is self sufficient with managing his condition now, but that doesn't mean a mother's concern subsides.
Each night for the last ten years, Tiffany says she gets up to check on her son just to make sure he's okay.
At some point over those ten years, through all the doctors appointments, doses of insulin, and monitoring, Payton took an interest in running.
"It's something that I did on the side sometimes when I'd run with my dad," he said. "Later on in middle school, like 7th and 8th grade, I just found a love for it and decided to stick with it."
And since has worked to improve his time. Now, he excels. This year, qualifying for WPIALs in cross country as one of the team's Top 7 runners. In track, he clocked the fasted time in the 400 meter race at the county meet.
His coach, Joe Everhart says Payton has earned it.
"Payton is one of our hardest workers," Everhart said. "He never misses practice, always gives 100 percent."
But while many runners use the time on the track or the trail to drift from life's difficulties, Payton's mind can't stray far from how he's feeling.
"I just have to be extra careful," he said. "I always have to carry some sugar with me when I'm out on a run."
Fortunately, he's not alone, even in the middle of a long-distance run. Payton says his teammates know exactly what to look for, and aren't afraid to speak up if something seems off.
"They're always checking up on me and making sure that everything's okay," he said. "They can usually tell when I'm not performing my best because of diabetes or something else going on. I'm really thankful for them and everything they do for me."
It's the type of culture Everhart has worked to create since he took the job in the 80's.
"It means a lot as a coach," he said. "We always try to build team spirit, being part of a family. Kind of a cliche, but in cross country and on this team, I've seen it quite a bit this year."
And for Payton, now poised for even more athletic and academic success his senior year, is also prepared to face challenges head-on well past high school's finish line.
"There's been times where I've been so tempted to just give up or quit doing what I'm doing because it's too difficult or I feel like I can't perform as well as everyone else because of the things that I have to face in doing it, but none of that matters," he said. "The thing that matters is that I've persevered and I have people helping me along the way."