MEQUON, Wis. — For Homestead's Jay Tally, every stride around the track tells part of his story — one that began with a frightening diagnosis and a fight to walk again.
Jay was 3 years old when he became seriously ill. His family spent months pushing for answers through countless doctor visits, with many attributing his condition to dehydration and fatigue.
"Jay was very sick, and they didn't know what was wrong with him," his father, Jimmie Tally, said.
Eventually, doctors performed a spinal tap and identified the cause.
"Eventually they did a spinal tap, and then they diagnosed him with Guillain-Barré syndrome," Jimmie said.
Guillain-Barré syndrome is a rare autoimmune disorder that attacks the nerves.
"It left me paralyzed, and I had to relearn how to walk," Jay said.
For Jimmie, the uncertainty of those early days was overwhelming.
Watch: From paralysis to state records: Homestead runner Jay Tally is headed to Georgetown
"As a parent, you're thinking like, is my child going to walk again? Is he going to play sports? Is he going to be active?" Jimmie said.
Step by step, Jay fought his way back — even as tingling in his legs lingered for years. He said the experience shaped who he became.
"I still remember certain periods of it just due to the trauma of it," Jay said.
That same determination eventually carried him to the track — though his rise wasn't immediate.
"I think one of the things people forget is like, Jay was not a great runner for us early on," Homestead boys distance coach Trefor Jones said.
Jay finished 14th at state in the 800-meter run his sophomore year. Now, he is considered one of Wisconsin's all-time best in the event.
"He runs a 1:51, breaks a state record, and becomes one of the greatest 800-meter runners in the state of Wisconsin, top 100 in the nation," Jimmie said.
Jones said Jay's journey has given him something that goes beyond athletic ability.
"I think there's some power to knowing, like when he's out on this oval, the person that's in control of Jay is Jay," Jones said.
Jay draws on his past every time he competes.
"It's helped me grow into who I am now. I feel like every time I step on the track, I'm doing it for that kid who wasn't able to walk and didn't have the ability to go out here and run like I do now," Jay said.
Before heading to Georgetown, Jay is still chasing one more goal — a back-to-back state title. He hopes his story can show others what is possible.
"Stacking days and just continuing on, it leads to success every time, and hard work is going to outwork any type of talent," Jay said.
His father said the journey is far from over.
"Now he gets to take his next stride, his next lap, and his next lap is Georgetown," Jimmie said.
Jay will be on a partial scholarship at Georgetown. If you would like to 'Fuel The Next Lap,' click here.
This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
It’s about time to watch on your time. Stream local news and weather 24/7 by searching for “TMJ4” on your device.
Available for download on Roku, Apple TV, Amazon Fire TV, and more.
