MacKenna Atkinson spent 15 consecutive days at the ICU at CHOP when she was in seventh grade with serious breathing problems, battling a mysterious autoimmune condition.

Suddenly, the outgoing, energetic daughter who played multiple sports could barely breathe.

Yet, as a 15-year-old Souderton High School freshman, she finished second in her weight class last season at the inaugural PIAA girls’ wrestling championships, writes Aaron Carter for The Philadelphia Inquirer.

Atkinson finished 30-5 and took second place in the 235-pound weight class.

“I’ve been through so much,” Atkinson said. “It was definitely a challenge at first, but if I never overcome my fears, what am I doing all this for?”

Those breathing problems in seventh grade and that time in the ICU temporarily brought wrestling, softball, weightlifting and rugby to a standstill.

She feared she’d never be able to wrestle again.

But a few months later she was back into sports, starting with softball, working her stamina levels up to start wrestling again in the summer.  

Early in, she lost to opponents she had previously beaten. That made her work even harder and by eighth grade she was dominating the wrestling scene again.

Read about MacKenna Atkinson’s battle to overcome her illness to excel in wresting in The Philadelphia Inquirer.