JASPER, Tenn. — The moment may have appeared to be just a routine play, but for anyone who knows Milan Pemberton — and the remarkable grit she has shown to overcome a formidable physical hurdle — it was easily recognized as anything but ordinary.
Taking off from second base as a teammate lined a base hit, the Marion County junior rounded third and sprinted for home, sliding in safely to score.
The significance of the play registered with Pemberton before she had even stood to dust herself off.
“I noticed right away that I wasn’t out of breath,” Pemberton said. “I had a play just like that last year and as soon as I got home I just fell out because I was so exhausted.”
For much of her life the spirited Pemberton was limited in how much energy she exerted by the restrictions of Pectus excavatum, a condition she was born with which, defined by the Mayo Clinic, causes the person’s breastbone and ribs to sink into the chest.