“I won my first JV race and after that it just clicked I guess,” said Cade Eells, a junior on the Nazareth Golden Flyers cross country and track teams.

Eells committed to Nazareth to run cross country, indoor, and outdoor track. And right away, he made an impact, winning Empire 8 Rookie of the Year and First Team All Conference.

“I was really surprised. I was mainly happy that we won the E8s and I played a huge factor in it. To say that I was the best freshman in the conference was just an outstanding feeling to have,” said Eells.

But Eells never actually wanted to run cross country or track in college. He was a hooper, but basketball had its obstacles.

“I thought I’d either do basketball or not do any sport. I’d say basketball, specifically, was always a challenge. Playing against people with two hands, you know, they can use two hands,” said Eells.

Eells has one hand — but instead of letting that frustrate him, he told me it’s a motivator — and that he doesn’t necessarily view it as something that slows him down.

“My dad used to say this all the time when I was a kid, is that we all have our own disabilities, mentally or physically — it’s just you can see mine, and I have to work through that as an obstacle. But we all have our own obstacles to go through,” said Eells.

And Eells doesn’t just work through them. He breaks them – holding multiple school records.

“In the spring of track I want to get Nationals for steeplechase and for cross country this year I was two places off of going to Nationals, so next year I really want to make sure I can get that Nationals spot,” said Eells.

Everyone has limitations. Cade Eells runs right past his.