Swimmers thrive on the Harper Creek girls team despite challenging health conditions

BATTLE CREEK - Being part of a high school team can fuel someone's desire for competition.

But, a team is also a place where someone can feel a part of something bigger than the results, the meet or even themselves. You aren't an individual awash in a sea of high school students. You are a part of a unit, that in this case, calls itself the Harper Creek girls swimming and diving team.

You are a part of the Beaver swim family.

That is what Harper Creek student-athletes Brookelyn Halverson and Ella Van Wagner were seeking when they joined the Beaver girls swim team - despite knowing the hurdles they might be facing with health conditions associated with Friedreich's ataxia and epilepsy.

"Having them part of the team is wonderful. It has been a life lesson for the rest of the girls as they get to see these two girls overcoming odds," Harper Creek girls swim coach Meredith Hawkins said. "And for these two girls, it is wonderful as well, because they have a place to belong and a family system here."

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Van Wagner, a junior, swims the 100 freestyle, 50 freestyle and the 100 backstroke for Harper Creek. Diagnosed with epilepsy when she was nine, the 16-year-old has posted quality times throughout the season. She takes medication daily for her condition and makes sure to get enough sleep. However, she does deal with occasional seizures and finds herself anxious at times throughout the school day, wondering if another seizure is around the corner.

But, once she is at practice, there is somewhat a sense of relief.

"Being here, I am part of the team. I feel really included. Which is nice," Van Wagner said.

Halverson, a sophomore, has been diagnosed with Friedreich's ataxia. The 15-year-old swims the 100 free and the 50 free for Harper Creek. For her, walking can be challenging at times as her neuromuscular condition affects her muscles and balance.

"But when I get in the water, my condition doesn't affect me as much. Being part of the swim team allows me to feel more normal and that's kind of cool," Halverson said. "And the team is great. They are very welcoming. I can't even explain the amount of support they have given me. It's amazing."

As November has been chosen as National Epilepsy Awareness Month by the Epilepsy Foundation, Hawkins thought it was appropriate to tell the story of Halverson and Van Wagner. Epilepsy is one of the most common neurological disorders, affecting people of all ages. There are roughly 470,000 children living with epilepsy in the United States alone.

The parents of both girls came to the Harper Creek coach to find out the logistics of having them on the team. From those discussions, it all came about quickly.

"They each have therapists that suggest that swimming might be a benefit," Hawkins said. "They are both more fluid in the water than they would be doing another sport. So they both joined the team, as we put some precautions into place."

Not always the case for high school swim teams, but Harper Creek requires having a lifeguard on site for practices and meets for the two girls. Halverson also requires an in-water start as she is not steady on the starting platform.

But those are easily managed.

However, there has been some scary points throughout the process.

"Brookelyn has fallen a couple of times and we have to be quick to help her. Ella has had a couple of seizures, most of them during practice, and those are scary when they happen," Hawkins said. "Anytime, somebody else's child's life is on the line, that can make you nervous as a coach and a teacher."

Those concerns are far outweighed by the smiles on the faces of those that see how Halverson and Van Wagner are able to blossom as part of the Harper Creek swimming family.

"Each year, we take the girls camping and and we end up swimming in Lake Michigan," Hawkins said. "For Brookelyn, walking on the beach, it was a little unstable for her, as it if for most of us on sand. But, once she was in the water, she was able to be just like the other girls. It was so much fun to watch her be just a kid in that moment."

Bill Broderick can be reached at bbroderi@battlecreekenquirer.com. Follow him on X/Twitter: @billbroderick.

This article originally appeared on Battle Creek Enquirer: Harper Creek swimmers thriving despite challenging health conditions