Lake Wylie teen tabbed to ‘Win From Within’

Nathaniel Hartley takes his mark. The soundtrack pulses, as his mother describes the motionless moment she knew something wasn’t right. He flies from the block.

Now, he’s making a splash.

Hartley, 16, is one of three athletes featured in the latest “Win From Within” series by Gatorade. What seemed like a prank, then some type of movie, is now an opportunity for the Gaston Day School junior to inspire others.

“I was kind of at a loss for words,” Hartley said, recalling the spring phone call mom Elizabeth passed to him during a swim meet. “I was really thankful that I was able to share my story.”

“Win From Within” began in 2014. The five-part online documentary series featured athletes who overcame great odds to achieve. Profiles included a wrestler with cerebral palsy, a boxer with a difficult childhood, a gymnast who came back from a fractured neck, a wheelchair basketball player and a basketball team formed from students at 10 alternative schools.

For 2015, “Win From Within” returned with three athlete features. Hartley joins Jaide Bucher, a one-handed elite softball catcher, and Blessman Ta’ala, a football player from American Samoa isolated from the colleges and career he wants to pursue.

The response from round one made selecting the latest group of athletes a challenge.

“We had basically so many inquiries it was very difficult,” said Noah Gold, Gatorade spokesman. “We realized that there are just so many amazing people.”

Gatorade is known for commercials with top professional athletes, but the company does “a little bit more than people probably realize” to promote amateur athletes, Gold said. The company looks to highlight not just the highest achievers, but people who strive and sacrifice for their sports.

“Nathaniel is a good example of that,” Gold said. “He’s overcome something where his condition precludes him from participating in a lot of sports. When he found one that fit, he really took to it.”

In February, the Lake Wylie Pilot profiled Hartley after he won his fourth and fifth state swimming titles in North Carolina. All while dealing with a rare disorder where, if cut, his blood doesn’t clot. Diagnosed at 6, Hartley wasn’t allowed contact sports. Doctors said he could swim.

A film company working with Gatorade read the article and contacted the Hartleys. There were 20 athletes being considered. Hartley interviewed. He made the cut.

“I love the message they portrayed,” he said. “I feel very honored that they chose me.”

Crews came for four days to film Hartley at an outdoor regional event, then returned for a week of 12-hour-a-day shoots. They rented a house in River Hills. They set up in Hartley’s room before daylight to film him slapping the alarm clock at 5 a.m. One cameraman stationed a kayak near the takeoff platform to get an underneath shot of Hartley entering the pool.

Then came the first 2 million or so online hits once the video aired. The Hartleys saw it on “SportsCenter” during the World Series.

“It’s been a little surreal,” said Elizabeth Hartley.

She said crews shot enough footage for a miniseries, rather than the short clip. It took a little adjustment to the bright lights taking over her home, hoping nothing was too far out of place.

“The first day I was like that and then after that I was like, no, this is how we live,” she said.

Nathaniel remembers a week of camera crew in diving suits, drones, underwater cameras.

“It was like being in a movie,” he said.

Now, as his high school season kicks into gear, Hartley sees the aftermath of the video. People diagnosed with his condition, competitive swimmers and others are reaching out on social media. People talk of being inspired.

All because of a sports drink he always liked and often took to meets to keep hydrated.

“After this,” Hartley said, “I’m definitely a bigger fan.”

The video ends as it begins, Hartley in a swim cap and goggles on the starting block. He drives home his message, one he readily repeats months later.

“Don’t focus on what you can’t do,” Hartley said. “Focus on what you can do.”

This story was originally published November 30, 2015 at 2:43 PM with the headline "Lake Wylie teen tabbed to ‘Win From Within’."