{"id":1113965,"date":"2021-12-13T09:29:07","date_gmt":"2021-12-13T14:29:07","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=1113965"},"modified":"2021-12-13T09:29:08","modified_gmt":"2021-12-13T14:29:08","slug":"better-together-14-year-old-girl-pushes-brother-in-wheelchair-during-cross-country-races","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/better-together-14-year-old-girl-pushes-brother-in-wheelchair-during-cross-country-races\/","title":{"rendered":"Better Together: 14-Year-Old Girl Pushes Brother in Wheelchair During Cross Country Races"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"&quot;\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">24<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Fbetter-together-14-year-old-girl-pushes-brother-in-wheelchair-during-cross-country-races%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=1113965&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><div><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/cross-country-running-trail-wood-shoes-stock-getty-640x335-1.jpg\" class=\"ff-og-image-inserted\" \/><\/div>\n<p class=\"subheading\">A determined 14-year-old Wisconsin runner pushes her disabled 15-year-old brother in a wheelchair during high school cross country races.<\/p>\n<p>The siblings, Jeffrey and Susan Bergeman, are freshmen at Chippewa High School and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.theepochtimes.com\/video-14-year-old-runner-pushes-her-big-brother-in-wheelchair-so-they-can-race-together_4113296.html\">share<\/a> a competitive spark, according to The Epoch Times.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"D-ROS-B1\" class=\"a8d\"><\/figure>\n<figure id=\"M-ROS-B1\" class=\"a8d\"><\/figure>\n<figure id=\"gmxrevmore\" class=\"H\"><\/figure>\n<p><span> \u201cAs parents, we feel very proud of Susan and Jeffrey running together,\u201d the sibling\u2019s mother Jess told the Epoch Times. \u201cWe recognize the hard work that they both have put in to be ready for the races, and are excited for them to be out there with all the other athletes who have worked hard, too.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-width=\"550\" data-dnt=\"true\" readability=\"12.962962962963\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">Jeffrey and Susan Bergeman are the reason why sports are so beautiful.<\/p>\n<p>The brother and sister FRESHMAN duo compete together in cross country for the Chippewa Falls Cardinals\u2026 <\/p>\n<p>An absolutely heart warming story of determination, family, and love. <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/1ZY0AQcCoq\">pic.twitter.com\/1ZY0AQcCoq<\/a><\/p>\n<p>\u2014 Duncan Goldberg (@DuncGold) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/DuncGold\/status\/1443050990895345667?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">September 29, 2021<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p>When Jeffrey was just 22 months old, he experienced cardiac arrest. He was without oxygen to the brain for 20 minutes and as a result, he suffers from cerebral palsy,&nbsp;<span>dysautonomia, and epilepsy, the Epoch Times reports. The teen is unable to speak or walk, but is able to communicate with head movement and \u201ccomputer-controlled eye gaze movements.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<figure id=\"M-ROS-B2\" class=\"a8d\"><\/figure>\n<p><span> \u201cJeffrey has learning challenges and requires support at school,\u201d the siblings\u2019 mother Jess told the Epoch Times, \u201chowever, he is able to understand much of what is said to him, responds to questions, and is able to express his likes, dislikes, and feelings.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p>The Epoch Times reports:<\/p>\n<blockquote readability=\"11\">\n<p>Jess and her husband, Jordan, both 36, were high school sweethearts who married in 2005 and settled in their hometown of Chippewa Falls after college. Both of them being runners, they each ran with Jeffrey in community races for many years. Susan took over of her own volition around the age of 10.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p>Susan was adamant about running with Jeffrey at Chippewa High when her parents asked her if she wanted to take a break.<\/p>\n<p>Susan <a href=\"https:\/\/www.weau.com\/2021\/10\/14\/jeffrey-susan-running-together\/\">recalled<\/a> to WEAU:<\/p>\n<blockquote readability=\"13\">\n<p>She looked at me as if I had two heads like, absolutely not, this was not even an option, they were doing cross country together and I\u2019m so proud of her. Once she settled in on like this is what we are doing, it was kind of a matter of, ok we need to get all of the adults on board to make sure this can actually happen because she is going to do this and she is making sure her brother is going to be out there too.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p>Jordan remembered his daughter saying, \u201cNo, there is no way we are not doing cross country together,\u201d according to WEAU.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"M-ROS-B3\" class=\"a8d adSo\"><\/figure>\n<div class=\"fb-video\" data-href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/wqownews18\/videos\/593314895225585\" data-width=\"640\" readability=\"8.9647887323944\">\n<blockquote cite=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/wqownews18\/videos\/593314895225585\/\" class=\"fb-xfbml-parse-ignore\" readability=\"11.323943661972\">\n<p>RUNNING WITH A PURPOSE Tonight, Nick Tabbert shares new details from the story of two Chippewa Falls siblings who are running together, despite the obstacles.<\/p>\n<p>Posted by <a href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/53387223944\">WQOW News 18<\/a> on Wednesday, November 24, 2021<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<\/div>\n<p>Unfortunately, the pair is not yet officially recognized by the Wisconsin Interscholastic Athletic Association (WIAA).<\/p>\n<p>Susan told WEAU:<\/p>\n<blockquote readability=\"10\">\n<p><span>We are currently exhibition, we are not competing at all, there are a lot of rules that are on us like we aren\u2019t suppose to pass people and we are suppose to go slow and let everyone finish first and our results don\u2019t matter and my brother and I are both super competitive so it does kind of annoy us a little bit.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><span> \u201cThis first year, it\u2019s ok that it\u2019s kind of just starting to get people aware that this can happen, that the kids can do this safely but beyond that we want them to see they can actually be true competitors and true athletes on the field,\u201d Jess told the WEAU.&nbsp;<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>In the sibling tandem\u2019s latest race, the 5k Big Rivers Conference Championships Meet, they finished in just 31 minutes, smashing their previous personal best time, the Epoch Times reports.&nbsp;<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>\u201cThey are truly just great kids,\u201d&nbsp;mom Jess&nbsp;Bergeman told the outlet. \u201cThey run their race, and at the same time, remind us that life isn\u2019t all about winning\u2014what matters most is love.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>Whenever Susan runs into a challenging hill or difficult stretch on the cross-country course, she relies on Jeffrey for motivation.&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>\u201cMentally I just push away the pain and focus on him enjoying it,\u201d she <a href=\"https:\/\/www.kare11.com\/article\/news\/local\/land-of-10000-stories\/14-year-old-cross-country-runner-pushes-big-brother-in-a-wheelchair-so-they-compete-together\/89-a354a429-f228-4517-893d-97e048b07aa7\">said<\/a>, per KARE11.&nbsp;<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>Jess told the Epoch Times that Susan is Jeffrey\u2019s most prominent supporter:<\/span><\/p>\n<blockquote readability=\"10\">\n<p><span>Anytime Jeffrey has had surgeries or illnesses that have landed him in the hospital, and there have been many. Susan has always been his biggest support warrior. Even though they aren\u2019t in the same classes at school, Susan always stops by Jeffrey\u2019s special classroom to check on him and see how his day is going.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><span>Jeffrey reciprocates by constantly making his little sister laugh and serving as her confidant.&nbsp;<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>A determined 14-year-old Wisconsin runner pushes her disabled 15-year-old brother in a wheelchair during high school cross country races. The siblings, Jeffrey and Susan Bergeman, are freshmen at Chippewa High &#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":10,"featured_media":2315279,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1113965","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1113965","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/10"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1113965"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1113965\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2315279"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1113965"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1113965"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1113965"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}