Every person goes through obstacles. It’s simply a part of life.

You don’t get the job you wanted, have a hard teacher, or your relationship is falling apart.

What about not being able to walk?

You wake up every morning knowing you can’t eat unless someone feeds you. And there is no privacy in the bathroom, because you can’t get there without help.

In this situation, the last thing most people would worry about would be being able to run. But for Lorene Skipper, walking wouldn’t suffice. She had to be able to run again.

In the summer of 2004, Skipper suffered a major setback in her track career when doctors found a hole in her femur.

The injury caused her to miss the entire 2004 season and cost her the ability to walk for three months.

Skipper admits that during the process of healing, she had doubts about her track career.

“I’m lucky to be running again,” Skipper said. “I had to rehab, and I had surgery six times on my thigh. I had to learn how to walk again.”

But Skipper was determined to will herself back to health. And with her family behind her, that’s exactly what she did.

Skipper stayed on bed rest for the entire summer and went through the rehab, all with the dream of being able to run again. By the time the leaves started changing colors, Skipper was already testing her ability to run.

But her leg still couldn’t handle the strain, leaving the senior’s dream in jeopardy.

NIU track Coach Connie Teaberry knew the injury was wearing on her player, but she was impressed by the fact that she never stopped trying.

“Lorene is a type of athlete with heart,” Teaberry said. “Last year it really bothered her not being able to run. She worked really hard to come back.”

Skipper’s hard work eventually paid off. And a year and a half later, the senior stepped on the track at the Redbird Open Dec. 10.

Just making it back on the track was an incredible feat, but Skipper wasn’t done. Her relay team took 3rd in the 800-meter relay.

Skipper and her relay team have only improved since. Her 4×400 team came in first place three times this season.

Off the track, Skipper is back to her normal living habits.

But after going through all the pain and suffering to be able to reach her goal, Skipper doesn’t want to let it all be for nothing once college is done.

So she set a new goal for herself.

“I wouldn’t be competing if I knew I couldn’t go anywhere,” Skipper said. “I would like to run in the Olympics.”