Nathaniel Hartley Chosen as Featured Athlete by Gatorade

Nathaniel Hartley (Courtesy: NCSASports.org)

Check out this video from Gatorade’s “Win From Within” series, featuring Nathaniel Hartley.  Hartley is a 16 year old from South Carolina who- at the age of 6- was diagnosed with Idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura (ITP for short). This blood disorder makes it hard for blood to clot, and therefore contact sports are not recommended. After two years of chemo therapy, Hartley was in remission. He was told by his doctors that swimming was the only sport he could participate in. In the five years since, he has competed at the club level for the Rock Hill Rays and is on the varsity team at Gaston Day School. He specialized in sprint and mid-distance freestyle and backstroke. As a sophomore, he won the N.C. Independent Schools Athletic Association 1A/2A state championship in two individual events. He broke a meet record and has re-broken several of his own state records.  Hartley is in his junior year of high school and already has his sights on finding the right  University to compete for.

Other athletes picked to be featured in Gatorade’s series include: Pennsylvania softball player Jaide Bucher, football player from American Samoa, Blessman James Ta’ala, and an athlete from the Philippines.

 Hartley’s Best Times:

This film was scored by Austin musician Derek VanScoten, aka D.V.S, aka Cloud Cord,  a good friend of SwimSwam. Listen to more of his music here.