HENDERSON, Texas — Anyone that's ever known Cason Weatherton knows that there's nothing that can stop him from achieving his goals. For him, there's no such thing as impossible. Once he sets his mind to something, he's not stopping until he gets there.
The point was proven true at the track and field state meet in Austin earlier this month. Last year, Weatherton, the Henderson High School junior, finished second in the seated shot put event.
However, he wasn't satisfied. In fact, he was already looking ahead to the next year and what he had to do to finish with the gold medal instead.
"It wasn't always easy. It wasn't always his best day. There were days you know he didn't feel well, sometimes he was hurting a little bit," said his coach Kyle Farrell. "He never made any excuses. He just showed up and put in that work because he knew what his goals were and what it took to get there."
A year later, Weatherton found himself back at the state meet. He had put in the extra hours and all the sacrifice it took to get to this point. So, when it came time to throw, Weatherton used everything he had left in the tank.
The results were everything he had hoped for. Cason Weatherton was a state champion, and he couldn't have been happier.
"It was very great. I was kind of anxious because they were taking a long time to give me the medal," Weatherton said. "I was just sitting there rubbing my hands like. .. just give me it. I wanted it."
But it hasn't been an easy road to success.
Cason has amniotic band syndrome, a rare condition causing him to be born without a leg, a right hand with half of a pinky, and a left hand with two conjoined fingers.
But as Cason always says, there's no excuses on the road to success. Instead, he continued to look for ways to excel and test his limits, finding seated shot put on the way. And as he continues to grow and work at his sport, the records continue to fall.
It may be the offseason for some, but not Cason. There is no offseason when you're working to be the best. In fact, he already has his eyes set on next year's state meet -- his final one as a senior. And with one gold medal in his possession now, his sights are set even higher.
"Hopefully, my future holds a new state record. I'm trying to work for that record, which is 28 feet and 2 inches," Weatherton said. "I'm 2 feet and 10 inches away from that already. So, I'm definitely working hard enough to stay in the gym to get past that point."
It wouldn't come as a surprise to anybody that comes next year there was a new state record for the seated shot put held by Cason Weatherton. Because just like everything else, if that record is there, he's got his eyes set on claiming it.