One of an athlete’s biggest goals is to push themselves no matter what, and they often have to balance that drive with unexpected challenges. For junior Evynn Graver, who has encountered physical hurdles from scoliosis, this requires determination and resilience like no other.
Diagnosed at five years old, she didn’t come across many physical challenges until she started her cross-country journey in middle school. More recently, her condition worsened following track season last school year. It took a toll on her body with little to no breaks between track season and cross-country pre-season.
“This summer my mom noticed that my shoulders and hips were off in height, so we went and saw a back specialist, and he goes, ‘Yeah, it’s a lot worse. You’ve progressed a lot, and it’s bad enough that we need to take action,”’ Graver said.
Because of the progression of her scoliosis, Graver had to start wearing a back brace for at least 18 hours each day. However, being required to wear a back brace did not stop her this past fall. Despite being in pain and the lack of comfort her new accessory offered, Graver laced up her shoes, practiced and competed alongside her cross-country teammates, and even ended up as the only female member of the team to qualify for the Nebraska School Activities Association (NSAA) Class B State Cross-Country Championships.
“In the beginning, it was uncomfortable because it’s essentially a large piece of plastic molded to my body, but it’s like anything you wear a lot, you just have to get used to it,” Graver said.
Due to her growth plates still being open, without her brace, Graver’s condition can only worsen and lead to possible surgery on her back.
“I’m currently three degrees away from getting surgery on my back, which would be two titanium rods in my back,” she said. “The preventive stage, I’ve already passed. Right now, with my brace, it’s to really hold me in place because I was at a little bit of an odd position to where I’m still in my growing period. So, I still have several inches that I’m supposed to grow, and that usually is not a good thing for my condition, so they said, ‘we’re gonna put you in that to prevent it from being worse, or to help it to not get worse.'”
In addition to wearing the brace to help protect her back, Graver has also had to adapt her practices and competition routines.
“Throughout the season we noticed hills caused her a lot of pain, so Evynn would do sprints on the track instead of running hills with the team,” Head Girls Cross-Country Coach Megan Sughroue said. “Also, if her back was starting to hurt, we would stop her for the day while the rest of the team completed their workouts.”
Graver has adjusted to working without her teammates on certain days due to her team practicing skills she can no longer work on. Looking at her, most wouldn’t tell that she has any sort of ailment, according to her teammates and coach.
“Even when it’s hard for her, she pushes through it,” freshman Stella Carl said. “She’ll always be there for you even though she’s probably having a harder time than you; she keeps the positivity for our team.”
While her diagnosis isn’t helpful as an athlete, Graver doesn’t let it keep her down. She feels that every small step forward is a victory in her journey.
“I’ve learned to listen to my body and realize that it’s not going to be the end of the world,” Graver said. “At the end of the day, I want to have a healthy body, and high school athletics isn’t going to define me at all.”
Having this mindset after having participated in both cross-country and track over the past three-plus years, and after having seen success in both district and state-level competitions is something that her peers and coaches respect her for.
“I am beyond proud of Evynn,” Sughroue said. “Running is already a really hard sport so adding more pain on top of it can be unbearable. However, she continued to push through and never gave up.”
This year she worked hard and finished eighth in the Class B State Cross-Country Championship on Oct. 25, collapsing over the finish line into the arms of Sughroue.
“I was in a lot of pain at the end of my race,” Graver said. “I knew going into that season I wasn’t guaranteed with my medical problems, so I had to work hard for it, and I just had a sense of relief that I finally did it.”
The off-season offers Graver a momentary reprieve; however, she has already set her sights on the upcoming track season with the same grit and determination that carried her through this fall. She plans to once again endure the discomfort of her back brace, adjust her training, and push through the pain to cross the finish line. For her, every stride forward is more than just progress.
“I never want to take any of this for granted especially when I’m never guaranteed another season,” she said.
