Sand Springs' Walden Named Gatorade Oklahoma Athlete Of The Year For Fourth Straight Time

Cheyenne Walden is fast, really fast.

She’s a four-time state champion, four-time Gatorade Oklahoma girls cross country athlete of the year kind of fast.

"She's a coach's dream,” said  Mike Burdge. “You tell her what to do, you wind her up and let her go and she goes out and does it."

As a kid, she was diagnosed with central auditory processing disorder. In layman's terms, that's when the brain has trouble understanding what the ears are hearing.

But, she doesn't let it slow her down.

"You have to know your body to accomplish the things you want to do,” said Walden.

Walden doesn't let her condition or her disorder define her or limit her in anyway.

She realizes that because of her talent, she has a stage that's bigger than just running and she's using it for the greater good.

"You can do anything you set your mind to,” she said. “It doesn't matter who is there, who is not there to watch you."

Walden speaks to youth groups about her life story and is thankful every day for what she is able to do.

"Knowing that you have this God-given ability to run, because there's people out there that can't even walk or eat or talk by themselves, and to run for them, it's very special,” she said.

"She's just got a heart that's bigger than anything else,” said Burdge. “It's the biggest thing about her."

So, what’s her major goal?

"2020 Olympics,” she stated.