The desire to be in the race - Katrina Gerhardt's story - Boston News, Weather, Sports | FOX 25 | MyFoxBoston

BY: BUTCH STEARNS
ACTON, Mass. (myfoxboston.com)

“It's the desire to win, but it's also the desire to be in the race.”

Those are the words that motivate Katrina Gerhardt every day. A senior at Acton-Boxborough Regional High School, Katrina sets a perfect example of focus and positivity, despite what curve balls life might throw your way.

For the first 14 years of her life, Katrina was like any other young girl.

“Kind of silly and hyper and jumpy and I was dancing all the time,” said Gerhardt. “Sort of the way that 14 year-old think that they're really invincible.”

In 2011, a back flip while dancing followed by a fall made Katrina realize she was not invincible.

“With the fall, I was 14 years old and I was with my dance team. I fell and I broke my collarbone and then I got back to dance and I noticed that my feet weren't quite picking up," said Gerhardt.

"This was the point where it started getting scary.”

As scary as this was for Katrina, it was more frightening for her parents.

“When it's yourself you can sort of suck it up and deal with it,” said Gerhardt. “But when you're a parent of a kid, it's difficult. Eventually we started to figure out that it wasn't going away. I definitely had to go through a grieving process, to a certain extent.”

At 15 years old, acceptance led to determination. Katrina went back to school, then went to a camp with other disabled kids. She then decided she wanted to live in France as part of a school exchange program.

“I went home and asked my parents. I don't know why, but they said yes,” said Gerhardt. “It was the most amazing experience ever.”

Back for her sophomore year, Katrina decided to try out for the track team.

“It was our first sign-up for winter track and a lot of kids were coming in, signing up, getting ready for the season to begin,” said head coach Ken Feit

“Hi, I'm going to join your team,” said Gerhardt.

“Immediately I tried to think about what I could possibly say without embarrassing myself or her,” said Feit. “And I thought, well maybe you can statistics or something of that nature.”

“I think I'm going to work out with you guys,” said Gerhardt.

“Right from the start her intent was to be a competitor no matter what it took,” said Feit.

Katrina has never looked back. Her teammates and the Massachusetts Track Coaches Association helped raise money to get her a real racing wheelchair. She started racing – and winning.

Like many athletes, she started feeling good about herself.

“I thought that by using a wheelchair, therefore I couldn't be strong, or couldn't be attractive or anything like that, which is really bad,” said Gerhardt. “And then I started learning that, no, I can lift weights. I can get strong and I can feel good about my body.”

“You see her in her chair, you see her racing in the chair, but I see no limitations there at all, anymore,” said Feit. “I don't think she does, or maybe she never did.”

All Katrina sees is a bright future, She's joined a national team of wheelchair racers and has a scholarship to the University of Illinois next year to join the school's prestigious wheelchair racing program.

She wants to be a doctor someday.

“I feel like I can do anything, because I see her out there doing really well,” said teammate Harshul Shukala.

“She's so positive,” said teammate Robert Davis. “She works hard for everything.”

“If I could live my life as happy as she is, regardless of the situation or what hand was dealt to her...” said assistant coach Stephen Hitzrot as his voice trailed off. “It's different world when people are that positive.”

“I don't want to preach to people,” said Gerhardt. “I don't want to be telling people how to live their lives, but I just want to tell people that they can try. It's worth it.”