Pearland's Madison Peters, Born To Do Great Things

By Lori Wilcox - MileSplit TX

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Pearland's Madison Peters has a goal of becoming a pediatrician, or working in the medical field one day. Her parents chuckle as her dad mentions the cartoon "Doc McStuffins," as a favorite childhood memory.  Medical Health Theory is her favorite class in school.  She enjoys burgers, blue cheese, beating her parents at ping pong and reading realistic fiction.  Her running inspirations are Ajee Wilson and Mary Cain, both 800M runners.  She is polite, well-spoken and enjoys helping people.  Little does she know that, by sharing her story at the age of 16, she will not only help, but inspire people today. 

Maddie's running career started at an early age.  At 6, a summer track coach noticed that her stride looked like that of a distance runner.  Her father, Pearland XC & Track Coach Demetrius Peters, didn't want to hear those words.  He was a distance runner in high school and college, and was in his first year of coaching summer track.  He dreamed of his daughter being a sprinter.  When asked about that parental aspiration, he chuckles sheepishly and admits "that's where all the glory is."  But with the goal of his daughter making the Junior Olympics, he relented and shifted her focus to distance events.  By 7, Maddie had entered her first mile race.  Her time of 6:30 was impressive and cemented her as a rising star.  

By the age of 9, Maddie was running cross country 3Ks with an AAU team.  She recalls "I don't know that I really liked it.  I just wanted to be good at something."  She was training year-round with a club team, and competing in track events ranging from the 400M to 1600M.  By 12, she added the 3000M to her resume.  During her AAU career, she qualified for the Junior Olympics finals in multiple events.  And aside from a stint as a starter on her junior high's B team in volleyball, Maddie's athletic career has been primarily focused on running.   

A new chapter began in the fall of 2020.  Maddie no longer trained with the track club, as she started her freshman year at Pearland High School.  Under the watchful eye of her father/coach, she exploded onto the UIL scene, with wins in every cross country race she entered.  The fabulous freshman won the District 23-6A XC title and earned a spot at regionals, with hopes of making it to the state meet.  But those hopes were dashed when Maddie failed to make it to the finish line at that regional race.

It was a hot and muggy day in Huntsville.  Maddie was running well and in 4th place.  As she hit the last mile, she started feeling "a little bit weird."  She thought she was just tiring, due to the unseasonably warm day.  She doesn't remember passing out on the course or the gator taking her to the waiting ambulance.  Her parents watched as the medical staff couldn't revive her.  At a loss for a cause, her father suggested that they check her blood sugar.  It was extremely high.  Still unable to wake her, she was transported to a local hospital.  After seeing specialists and further testing, Maddie was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes.  Maddie doesn't remember passing out, the gator, or the ambulance.  But when she woke up, her first question was "did I make it (to State)?"  Her next thought was "all of that work, for nothing."  Quitting crossed her mind, but the doctors mentioned extreme dehydration and heat exhaustion as probable causes for her episode.

According to the CDC, Type 1 diabetes is rare, with fewer than 200,000 cases diagnosed each year.  There is a slightly higher risk with a family history of Type 1 diabetes, and the peak age of diagnosis is 13-14 years old.  Treatment consists of managing blood sugar levels through regular monitoring, insulin therapy, diet and exercise.

After the diagnosis, Maddie began testing her blood sugar several times each day.  Unlike most diabetics, Maddie's blood sugar increases with intense exertion.  She improved her diet by eating more fruits and vegetables, cutting out junk food and focusing on hydration.  And after prayerful consideration with her family, Maddie decided to "keep moving forward."  She started feeling better while adjusting to a new normal, and the family decided to keep the diagnosis to themselves.  Next step - track season. 

At the district meet on April 8, 2021 - Maddie won the 800M, 1600M and 3200M.  One day, 3 races, and just a freshman.  No one in Pearland High School history had ever accomplished such a feat.  An undeniable talent.  As she was still learning to deal with her diabetes, the decision was made to focus solely on the 1600M in the area and regional meets.  She placed 10th at regionals, behind eight upperclassmen.  Madison Peters was back, and ready for a breakout sophomore year.

In the fall of 2021, Maddie started the season in her usual form.  She won every cross country race she entered in the greater Houston area and placed 7th in the elite Southlake Carroll Invitational in the Dallas/Ft Worth area.  One of her wins was even on the regionals course from the previous year, the site of her medical emergency.       

Expectations were high after Maddie won the district individual XC title by more than two minutes.  Then, it was back to the regionals course in Huntsville.  Only a handful of coaches in the area were aware that she was dealing with diabetes, while competing at such a high level.  In this regional race, Maddie was in first place, but her father saw her posture change during the last mile.  She stumbled, but got up again and tried to keep going.  She made it to within 100M of the finish, before veering off the course and collapsing.  

Her mother remembers her waking up in the ambulance and trying to run, as if she were still in the race.  Her blood sugar was extremely high and she was given IV fluids to bring it down.  A year before, her doctors thought that dehydration and heat exhaustion caused the problem, and that diabetes was a secondary issue.  On this day, Maddie hadn't thought about the Pedialyte (with added sugar) that she had before the race.  With such a painful learning curve, Maddie was ready to quit running altogether.  

Her father said "it's a lot for someone to go through.  Seeing a kid pass out, try to get up, running off the course and try to come back.  It's insane to see.  And it was the second time."  He spoke with co-workers and considered Maddie giving up cross country and only training for track.  But cross country is like a family, and Maddie's closest friends were on the team. 

Maddie, again, made the decision to keep moving forward and had a stellar sophomore track season.  She repeated as the defending 800M/1600M/3200M district champion and made it to state in the 1600M and 3200M.  Resilience personified.    

This fall, Maddie is a junior and on a roll, with wins in every race she's entered.  She won the elite 5K at the Southlake Carroll Invitational in Dallas/Ft Worth with a 17:00, and conquered the regionals course in a preview race in Huntsville.  She has faith that her persistence will pay off. 

A bi-product of Maddie's situation is that her father has become a more patient father and coach.  His daughter's diagnosis gave him pause, and he freely admits that it has changed the way he coaches his athletes.  He pays more attention to reasons for sluggish and inconsistent workouts.  He asks questions about nutrition/ iron intake/ blood sugar levels, and is more in tune with his athletes.  He credits his faith for his newfound patience and Maddie enjoys that he's more of a "Dad" outside of practice.  No more "running talk" on the drive home from practice or around the dinner table.  

Maddie's father isn't just her coach; it's a family affair at Pearland High School.  Maddie's younger brother, Cam, is a freshman on the team.  He won the highly competitive JV race at Southlake Carroll in August.  And cousin, Erin Peters, is another talented freshman on the team. 

The bright side of the story is that this gifted athlete keeps moving forward.  She's had every reason to quit, as the learning curve of an athlete with diabetes is steep.  But Maddie has come to the realization that she truly enjoys this sport, is very talented and willing to fight to stay in it.  Learning what works best for her body, with regard to nutrition and hydration, has been a trial-and-error process, but she's figuring it out.  She's also embracing the fact that she can be a role model for others.     

Maddie's experience proves that diabetes can be a challenge; but it's not insurmountable.  And it underlines the fact that you don't always know what others are going through.  "I want to encourage other people who have gone through difficult things, maybe mental and not physical things.  And show them that you can get better.  It's not always bad things that happen.  Eventually, good can come out of it, if you stay with it and try your best."  

Madison has an incredibly bright future, with collegiate athletics knocking on her door.  Mrs. Peters said that from birth, she "knew her children were meant to do great things."  On multiple fronts, no one could agree more.

Please visit the following resources for additional information:

ADA - American Diabetes Association www.diabetes.org

ADCES - Assoc of Diabetes Care & Education Specialists www.diabeteseducator.org