Running has always been a big part of Penn State assistant cross country coach Artie Gilkes' life. And it may be the reason he is still here today to tell his story.

Gilkes found out he had diabetes as a member of the Penn State men's cross country team after his freshman season. During his sophomore year he got more bad news; he had severe anemia. His health problems forced him out of Army ROTC, made running more of a challenge and frustrated his life as a student.

After school he found out he had even more health problems, all of which were present inside of him before the diabetes.

The diabetes was just detected first.

Through out it all, he kept on running. With every step more red blood cells were being created in Gilkes' system helping him fight off all of his health problems.

His passion of running, his commitment to his sport was helping him stay alive.

Gilkes played almost every sport growing up in the Oakland section of Pittsburgh.

His favorite part of each sport was the running involved. When he found out that he could do running as a sport itself, he was thrilled.

When he found out that he would be running for cross country coaching legend Harry Groves at Penn State, he was even more excited.

He packed his bags and left his house almost right on the University of Pittsburgh's campus and departed for Happy Valley.

Two things were certain at that point in his life: one was that he would be in the Army ROTC and follow the footsteps of several generations of his family including his father. And, second, he would run at Penn State.

Both dreams were almost taken away from him after the Big Ten Championships his freshman year.

Gilkes had been suffering before the big meet, but after scoring for his team in the championships, he knew something was really wrong.

"My roommate wanted me to see a doctor, but I was worried I'd miss the Big Ten. I made a deal to go to the doctor after [the race] or he would tell Groves," Gilkes said.

Groves found out soon enough along with everyone else. Diabetes was what had been affecting Gilkes. After spending two weeks in the hospital, Gilkes went to the Olympic Training Center.

He qualified for the training center after a good freshman season. There he got the energy, guidance and confidence he needed to rejoin the nationally ranked Nittany Lions.

"This fifth-year senior, All-Amercan Bob Hamer, called me at the hospital and almost threatened me to deal with this and get back because we had a top-10 team," Gilkes said, laughing.

He did come back and the Lions ran all the way to eighth place in the nation his sophomore year, but Gilkes was bothered by an abdominal pain that he admitted had been bothering him since high school. He spent a lot of time in the emergency room his second year in college. Eventually what was thought to be ulcers in high school turned out to be chronic anemia.

After the latest devastating discovery, his parents urged him to leave school. Gilkes refused.

He kept going to class and running with the team even though every day was uncertain.

"Every day was a gamble. When stars aligned I was unstoppable. Some days when the smallest thing went wrong, and I couldn't finish the run, or get through class," Gilkes said. "It was a crapshoot everyday."

Gilkes finished school in five years and, though he ran for three and a half of those years, he felt unfulfilled.

He felt like he wasted everyone's time at Penn State just getting by.

After school, Gilkes' mother found him a clinic in Boston, and Groves found him a team so he could keep running while there.

It took the doctors two years to diagnose every illness, all six of them, in addition to diabetes and his chronic anemia.

"Had I not been a runner I would have been dead before or in college," Gilkes said. "Running kept everything together."

Even with the new illnesses he kept on running and running well. He almost felt that he had beaten his health problems, until the U.S. Nationals.

Before the race he ate something with gluten in it. The gluten caused a blood sugar problem and sent Gilkes into a seizure. After that race, Gilkes knew this battle could never be won. He would just have to deal with it for the rest of his life.

Gilkes traveled back to State College two years ago to be with his girlfriend Becky Donague who coaches the women's cross country team at State College Area High School.

Currently, he is studying kinesiology and has been an assistant coach for two years now at Penn State helping mentor student athletes the same way coach Groves mentored him.

He is also working on establishing the Diabetes Autoimmune Athletes Club. Whenever he races now, he wears a jersey with the letters DAAC on it.

Gilkes takes around 50 pills a day and has an insulin pump that is always on him attached to his pants at the waist. He recently found out he had lyme disease after being bit by a tick, complicating his health situation even more.

His battle continues everyday, but Gilkes just keeps on going.

His secret to overcoming all that adversity? Gilkes says the belief that Groves and his girlfriend have in him keeps him going. Other than that, he just keeps getting up every morning and doing what he has to do.

"I don't believe in profound statements," Gilkes said when asked what advice he would give to his runners or any one else. "Develop the courage for everyday life. That will transcend into other avenues."

After the interview was over, Gilkes talked for another forty minutes about his team, his coach, his girlfriend and his future in coaching.

His goal now? What else?

To keep on running, and do the best job he can do.