Athlete battles on and off the field

New Haven, Conn. (WTNH) - It's hard enough being a student at Yale, but even harder being a student athlete.

Now try being a student athlete while all your muscles degenerate; that's what junior field hockey player Ona McConnell does every day.

The goal keeper suffers from a form of muscular dystrophy.

"Right now she's beating the odds," said head coach Pam Stuper, "people are surprised she's even out on the playing field. And most days I am as well."

It isn't always easy for McConnell though, playing through a form of muscular dystrophy called Myotonic dystrophy. Not a lot is known about the condition, but McConnell is learning that it zaps her energy and makes common tasks seem difficult.

"Pretty much the only symptoms that I first developed freshman year, I couldn't let go of things," said McConnell. "Like I grab something and I try to let go, but it takes like 20 seconds, so it's very hard to do that.

"I think our team does a good job of supporting her and understands what she's going through," said Stuper, "but I don't think anyone can relate to what she has to go through day by day."

"It's a progressive disease, so it gets worse as it goes on," said McConnell. "It can affect, eventually effect your legs, you will probably get cataracts, it effects your internal muscles, and slowly basically, you waste away."

Despite her condition, McConnell makes the most of what little playing time she gets in games, and practices as much as the coaches let her. For her, field hockey is not just a way to maintain a sense of normalcy, but it gives her confidence and the camaraderie she needs.

"She talks about that too," said junior Maddy Sharp, "how it's nice to have 20 built-in friends to rally around you when you're feeling low."

"I feel like every time I do come out, it's like I beat this disease today," said McConnell. "It's like I'm here, you're not gonna stop me."