To the uninitiated, a high school cross country race can appear to be an exercise of every man for himself.

The uninitiated would do well to meet 14-year-old Susan Bergeman.

With the pop of a starter pistol, a wave of runners speed off on their 3.1-mile course, while Susan bears down and spins the bearings on the wheelchair that carries Jeffrey Bergeman, Susan’s 15-year-old brother.

“He loves running,” the Chippewa Falls High School runner says. “I think it helps me get even closer to my brother.”

Susan was a year old when Jeffrey, then 22 months old, suffered a sudden cardiac arrest that deprived his brain of oxygen for 20 minutes. Jeffrey was left with severe brain damage and a diagnosis of cerebral palsy.

“They’ve always had this very close relationship and she’s never really seen

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