There are times in each of our lives when life throws us a curveball. These moments can either break us or make us stronger. Hadley Carey has used her strength and will power to learn how to deal with her situation.
“In 2021, I was diagnosed with epilepsy and this year it has come back with vengeance,” she said. “After spending a week and half at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia in February, we also discovered I suffer from another seizure disorder. Sometimes just waking up in the morning can be debilitating. Or during the day when a seizure can hit out of the blue. But I’ve learned to relax, recover and put one foot in front of the other and drive on.”
Hadley is a sophomore at Woodward High School, where she is a member of the cheer, track, and powerlifting teams. She is also involved in the Pep Club, the Fellowship of Christian Athletes, and the National Honor Society.
For some, a diagnosis like hers could cause them to not want to compete in sports, but Carey knows what it takes to be successful and she has seen the results of her hard work.
“It has taken dedication, a positive mindset, and the drive to be better than you were the day before,” she said. “Some of the highlights of my career have been making it to state in track last year as a freshman and getting a new personal record of nine feet in the pole vault while at state. I also qualified for state in all of my sports my freshman year last year.”
Though she enjoys competing in her sports, Hadley says that there is another reason that she enjoys doing what she does.
“I think my biggest motivation is the thought of inspiring little kids in the community to put forth 110 percent and do the best that they can. Also making adults that used to do the sports I do proud.”
Wearing the Woodward uniform when she competes is not something that Carey takes lightly.
“It means a lot to me to represent my school and community,” she said. “When I play my sports I always think about making the generations before and after me proud. I love to inspire the little kids looking up to me.”
