MysonJoeywasbornwithclubfeet.Thedoctorsassuredusthatwithtreatmenthewouldbeabletowalknormally-butwouldneverrunverywell.Thefirstthreeyearsofhislifewerespentinsurgery,castsandbraces.Bythetimehewaseight,youwouldn'tknowhehadaproblemwhenyousawhimwalk.

Thechildreninourneighborhoodranaroundasmostchildrendoduringplay,andJoeywouldjumprightinandrunandplay,too.Wenevertoldhimthatheprobablywouldn'tbeabletorunaswellastheotherchildren.Sohedidn'tknow.

Inseventhgradehedecidedtogooutforthecross-countryteam.Everydayhetrainedwiththeteam.Heworkedharderandranmorethananyoftheothers-perhapshesensedthattheabilitiesthatseemedtocomenaturallytosomanyothersdidnotcomenaturallytohim.Althoughtheentireteamruns,onlythetopsevenrunnershavethepotentialtoscorepointsfortheschool.Wedidn'ttellhimheprobablywouldnevermaketheteam,sohedidn'tknow.

Hecontinuedtorunfourtofivemilesaday,everyday-eventhedayhehada103-degreefever.Iwasworried,soIwenttolookforhimafterschool.Ifoundhimrunningallalone.Iaskedhimhowhefelt."Okay,"hesaid.Hehadtwomoremilestogo.Thesweatrandownhisfaceandhiseyeswereglassyfromhisfever.Yethelookedstraightaheadandkeptrunning.Wenevertoldhimhecouldn'trunfourmileswitha103-degreefever.Sohedidn'tknow.

Twoweekslater,thenamesoftheteamrunnerswerecalled.Joeywasnumbersixonthelist.Joeyhadmadetheteam.Hewasinseventhgrade-theothersixteammemberswerealleighth-graders.Wenevertoldhimheshouldn'texpecttomaketheteam.Wenevertoldhimhecouldn'tdoit.Wenevertoldhimhecouldn'tdoit...sohedidn'tknow.Hejustdidit.

ByKathyLamancusa