Most 16-year-old boys spend their time playing sports, going to school, and hanging out friends. But for Giovanni Hamilton, his life looks a little different.

“I’ve pretty much spent my whole life coming to terms with having a disability,” Gio said.

Gio suffers from Schwartz Jampel Syndrome, a rare disease that affects his muscles and growth, and there is no cure.

“When he was born they had no idea what he had. It took about two years to actually get a diagnosis for Giovani. We actually had to have his blood drawn and sent over to Germany for genetic testing,” said Gio’s mother, Shannon. 

Once they got the bloodwork back, they discovered that “there are three types of Schwartz Jampel Syndrome, but Giovanni made his own type. No one else in the world has the type of Schwartz Jampel Syndrome that he has,” said Shannon.

Yet, that disability hasn’t stopped him.

“Everything that anybody has ever told me I can’t do, I push the limits, my mom gets so mad at me for that.”

Originally from Philadelphia, Gio grew up an Eagles fan. While recovering from total hip and leg surgery, Gio quickly found himself loving Eagles Quarterback Carson Wentz and football.

“He had a major hip surgery, he was in a body cast from his armpits down to his ankles. He was laying flat there was nothing else to do. He was really starting to watch football and that was Carson Wentz’s rookie year for the Eagles, and Giovanni just latched. He’s sitting there watching all the Youtube videos, he’s learning all the plays, and then he’s talking to me about the plays. From that moment on, he really took off,” said Shannon.

And Gio took off into the world of podcasting.

“Originally my husband and I were kind of hesitant because we were like ‘he’s 12, who’s going to listen to him,’ and we don’t want him to be heartbroken,” Shannon said.

Yet, Gio persuaded his parents to let him try it, promising them how hard he would work, and how the podcast would be successful.

And he did work hard. Shannon said that “about a month after he started the podcast he had Chris Long on, and after that, it just took off.”

Now, Gio gets to travel to the NFL Combine, cover Pacers games, and go to the NFL Draft. While there is no cure for Shwartz-Jampel syndrome, Gio says “the cure for my disability was last year when I had my leg surgery to help me walk.”

That leg surgery helped him out of a wheelchair and walker, and now he can walk on his own to work events like the NFL Combine.

Even after 30 surgeries and countless nights in the hospital, Gio uses his football and his podcast to get through it.

“I try to tackle it head on and try to have that positive outlook on it and to incorporate football into everything because that’s my love.”

And that positive outlook gets him through anything life throws at him.

“Gio will come home and is like ‘alright, the comeback is gonna be greater than the setback, mom,” Shannon said.

Gio continues to comeback from major surgeries and prove to himself and others that he is capable of doing what he loves, despite his disability.