Deaf Track Star Runs to Victory

By Michael Walton

By the time Hannah Maenius was in middle school, her family and friends knew she was a fast runner. Maenius, who began competing in track and field events when she was a young girl, had never lost a race. Her special race was the 800-meter event, which is equal to two times around a track.


Maenius attended Fredericksburg High School, where she was a mainstream student. Competition there was stiff. Maenius persevered and her running improved. She competed against a lot of other talented runners from large schools in her area and went on to win medals. Her ultimate goal was to win a state championship.

As Maenius continued to work towards her goal, her performance improved. She finished in 3rd place two years in a row at the regional competition. Maenius was excited about her achievements, but she still was not satisfied. During the summer of 2004, students were on vacation from school, but Maenius kept working on her running. That fall, Maenius finished in 4th place in the state cross-country meet—and she didn’t stop there. She went on to become the 800-meter district champion, breaking several of her school’s records. She also became the regional champion. At last, Maenius competed in the state meet and won the 4-A state championship in the 800-meter race.

Today, Maenius is a freshman at Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi. She has a full athletic scholarship to run for her school’s track and field team. She continues to work hard—both in class and on the track field. Hannah Maenius is a champion!

- Information from the Maenius family and The Austin American Statesman