Running his way to a diploma

Petaluma High School senior Connor Efstathiu is running his way to a high school diploma.

Last weekend, he ran 81st out of more than 150 competitors in the North Coast Section Division 3 Cross Country championships. While running in the North Coast Section meet is an amazing accomplishment for anyone, an even bigger achievement for Efstathiu will be celebrated this spring when he graduates with his class from Petaluma High School. To get to NCS and to walk across the stage to accept his diploma, Efstathiu has had to overcome obstacles that only he truly understands.

When he was 3 years old, Efstathiu was diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder, a group of development disabilities that can cause significant social, communication, behavioral and academic challenges.

Despite Efstathiu’s obvious problems with concentration, his parents chose to “mainstream” him, putting him into regular classes in the Petaluma Unified School District, starting at Grant Elementary School.

“It was the right decision,” his mother Kristen Efstathiu says. “It made all the difference in the world. The support he received from the district has been incredible.

Efstathiu, an extremely articulate young man, is in total agreement with the decision.

“I was close to being sent to some special school,” he recalls. “I’m glad they chose to send me to a regular school.” Not that it was easy. “I had a hard time, and I didn’t know why. I would get very frustrated,” he explains.

He also got frustrated when he couldn’t keep up physically with one of his friends. He began running to catch up, and things, including his running distance, grew from there.

“I got very enthused about running,” he explains. “I started off with 10 laps around my neighborhood (He lives on a cul de sac) and kept increasing the laps.”

“He was so motivated,” his mother says. “He was doing 100 laps.” The neighbors noticed and suggested his family take him to a track where he could more easily increase his distance. As he ran and discovered the difference the hard work made, Efstathiu began applying the same dedication to other parts of his life.

“After I started running, I started getting motivated in school,” he explains. “I found out that when I worked harder in running, I worked harder in school.”

When Efstathiu reached Petaluma High School and joined the cross country team, he got another jolt of motivation.

“I was the slowest kid on the team by a lot,” he recalls. As he worked as only he would work to get better, he knew he was where he belonged. “I was happy to be with kids who I thought would make me a better person,” he says.

Even as Efstathiu worked to get better, his coach, Cole Yungert, cut him no slack.

“He pretty much knew this (Efstathiu’s improvement) would happen,” the athlete says. “He let me run like everyone else, but he said I was the hardest worker he ever had on the team.”

During his time at Petaluma High School, he has gone from being the slowest runner on the team to being the third or fourth counting runner on the team in most meets. His times in the Sonoma County League and North Coast Section championship meets were a little off because of illness, but he still ran strong and helped the Trojans finish third in league and among the top 10 (eighth) in the NCS meet.

Efstathiu credits someone he has never met with providing even more inspiration for running. “My great grandfather (Ernie Klann) almost made the Olympics,” he explains. “He ran a 4:16 mile and an 8:49 two mile. He ran his whole life and he didn’t stop running until two months before he died in his 80s. I think a lot about him. I wish I could be like him.”

Efstathiu is determined to carry his dedication into the track season. “I will never allow myself to be slow again,” he vows.

“I call my running ‘hurting to progress.”

Like Star Wars, the Connor Efstathiu story seems to have no ending, only next chapters.

“Because of running, I’ll actually be able to lead a real life. I’m not afraid to get out of the house and get out in the world,” he says.

His world next year will expand to include Santa Rosa Junior College with plans to keep his education going, possibly to Sonoma State University or Dominican College.

Efstathiu is the son of Paul and Kristin Efstathiu and the grandson of Clare and Norm Santos, Kay and Father Constantine Efstathiu and Steve and Claudia Klann.