Dale Peterman stood by, anxiously waiting as his daughter, Sam Peterman, neared the finish of the 1,500-meter race at the New York state high school championships. As Sam, a sophomore at Sweet Home High School, sprinted down the final stretch, her father watched from the finish line, aware of what might happen. Sam, struggling to maintain her balance, crossed the line and collapsed into her father’s arms, who then carefully laid her down on the infield grass.
Sam, who has neurocardiogenic syncope (NCS), a condition that causes her to faint after races, was immediately tended to by a small team who elevated her legs and gave her water. Despite her condition, Sam managed to finish sixth in the state with a personal best time of 4 minutes and 30 seconds, nearly setting a school record. Dale, always by her side at the end of her races to catch her, expressed his relief that she had completed the race safely.
Sam’s NCS, which causes her to faint due to a drop in blood pressure after intense physical activity, first surfaced when she was in eighth grade. Her father, Dale, has become accustomed to waiting for her at the finish line, ready to catch her. The condition hasn’t stopped Sam from pursuing her passion for running, and she uses it as motivation, aspiring to become a doctor to study NCS further. Despite the risks, Sam’s love for running drives her to continue competing, with her father always close by for support.
