A year ago Stephanie wasn't the best runner on Parkway West's Cross Country team but this summer stepanie ran every day, a total of 197 miles and shaved her time by one minute.

Her Coach says that's a testiment to her commitment. "She's so self motivated she doesn't need a whole lot of encouragement."

One way Pan can think to describer is, "super fast." Super fast and she can't hear. Unless she's wearing her hearing aids. But for Stephanie its do big deal. "It doesn't come up in my life. I just wear them and do what I need to do."

But on race day, she doesn't long to hear the cheering the crowds. She takes the hearing aids off. Silence is her way of entering a zone.
"I just didn't like all of the noise it allows me to focus on running."

While it seems like an advantage, some don't agree. "I think its more of a disadvantage because you need to hear footsteps behinde you so you can start pushing yourself," says Pan.

But Stephanie doesn't need to hear she knows when the competition is behinde her. "You just feel them breathing on your back."

Stephanie doesn't use sign language to communicate, she doesn't even know it, instead she reads lips. But during a race that is impossible, so she and Coach Jeff Dee have their own language during a race. "I give her a thumbs up or (pumps his fist) tell her to keep it rolling and she understands that."

And what everyone around understands is her inability to hear hasn't stopped her from going forward. "Its never even close to an excuse or problem. Its just hey, this doesn't matter to me. I'm just gonna work hard and be with the rest of the team. Its an obstacle she doesn't even recoginze. She just runs right through it."

By Katie Felts