By Kevin Lantz

When Skylar Anderson is in the throwing circle, her heart pounds in her chest. She throws the shot put and discus for Medford High School. “I saw the upperclassmen throwing,” Skylar said, “And I wanted to be just like them or even better.” She takes the challenge head-on. She pushes herself to be better, to be stronger, to be faster.

But Skylar has a secret. She has an autoimmune disease. It is a chronic condition that makes her stay active so that she can keep her body as healthy as can be. Skylar has refused to let it stop her. She knows that exercise is one of the best things she can do for her health, so she keeps throwing.

She has had her ups and downs. “It has an effect on how much stress I can put on my body.” The high school student-athlete told us. “It pushes me to think differently about how I see things.” Skylar credits her coach and her parents for being role models in her life by helping her out of a dark time in her life and keeping her going by supporting her in everything that she does.

Skylar’s most memorable moment was at state last year when her throw barely made it inside of the foul lines and this throw was good enough for her to stand on the podium, which is the ultimate goal for most track and field athletes. It has to be an amazing feeling, and it showed her that she could do anything she set her mind to.

Skylar is a role model for anyone who has ever felt like they can’t do something because of their health. She shows us that anything is possible if you set your mind to it and never give up.

She is the president of the Future Career Leaders of America, a member of the student council, and she plays golf, softball, and basketball in addition to track and field.