2016 Winter Five Star Journal

sociation allowed coaches and teammates to
call directions to her. She walked the courses
with her coach to get a sense for the route
and terrain.
Head Coach DJ Hummel admits he ran most
of that first race from the sidelines to make
sure Bachus didn’t have any issues. As she
took off, it became clear to everyone that her
speed and competitive attitude ensured she
would stay with the group and navigate her
way through the course listening to them.
Hummel said she doesn’t question if she
can do something—she just goes out and
does it.
“It’s just part of her personality,” he said.
“She’s confident but on the other side she
can be confident because the other kids accept
her and they’re ready to help her.”
While on the track team, she decided to be
part of a relay. It’s been tough, Bachus said,
but she is committed to continuing and finding
the leg for the race—and mastering a
handoff that she can’t see.
“I adapt pretty quickly,” she said.
She’s become an important part of the
team, Hummel said. For Bachus, the friendships
she’s made and encouragement from
her teammates has been important.
“You run individually but in so many ways
it’s the most amazing team, community feeling,”
she said.
Seeing how she has taken to the sport has
been moving for her parents.
“It was like watching a flower open,” said
Legacy Runner
father Patrick Flaherty. “The kids, the relationships,
the comradery.”
Mother Michelle Flaherty agreed.
“She’s got courage. I’m amazed at what she
does and that fearlessness,” she said.
Her parents say her drive and positive attitude
make a difference to her success in both
sports and school.
“She always rises to the challenge,” Patrick
Flaherty said. “Her positivity is so infectious
… She does self-advocate, she has a really
positive attitude and the district has really
amazing people.”
Bachus said she’s inspired by her teammates
and felt a boost after seeing a blind
student running with a guide at a meet. Because
she has some vision, Bachus can run
without a guide.
“I always thought it was a challenge for me
to run but to see that and to see that she runs
and she needs a guide but she still does it really
well was cool,” she said.
What she may not have realized is that she
is inspiring others. She has a pretty simple
approach: “fake it ‘til you make it, man.”
No surprise, she already has more goals she
wants to accomplish: cut her 5K race time to
under 21 minutes and letter in both running
and her academics.
Assistant Coach Lauren Hummel says she
has the drive and the talent to do it: “If I had
to predict next year with Hannah, I wouldn’t
be surprised if she’s on varsity for every race.”
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Five Star Journal | page 21