SMS Athlete Competes at Hartford Nationals

Sherman Middle School eighth grader Joanna Ewton first discovered her love of running in 2021 at a YMCA summer track season. She followed that passion into joining the cross country team at Sherman Middle School, determined to keep pushing herself further.

And the results of Joanna’s hard work paid off recently with a spot at the Hartford Nationals, the largest adaptive sports championship in the US, as she earned medals in her division and competed alongside athletes from other ambulatory classifications.

Joanna has cerebral palsy with ataxia, which affects her coordination, balance and overall movement, and glaucoma, which affects her vision. Since her glaucoma diagnosis, Joanna has worked to develop scanning techniques to compensate for her vision, and her skills allow her to run track without accommodations.

She set two personal bests at the Hartford Nationals in discus and the 400 meters and participated in her first-ever relay which used a touch exchange rather than a baton. She helped represent Team Texas, which finished fourth overall.

Joanna’s looking forward to continuing her participation in SMS cross country, which presents a different challenge. Changing terrain and elevation and unanticipated obstacles are common, and Joanna relies on a guide runner to safely navigate courses.

The entire SMS family, including her coaches, fellow students and staff, are proud of her accomplishments and look forward to cheering her on as she takes on this cross country season!