Ohio Runner's Career Ended by Heart Surgery

A local professional ultrarunner has retired from competition after a heart condition required open-heart surgery in 2018.

The runner, who grew up in Cuyahoga County, competed in some of the world's most difficult endurance races for over a decade before her career ended. She attributes her drive to a childhood belief that love and attention had to be earned through achievement.

She began running at age 15 after watching her mother complete a marathon. That same year, she finished the San Diego Rock n' Roll Marathon. By high school, she had pledged to run 100 miles around her school track to raise money for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society in honor of a friend with cancer. The media coverage of that project gave her a sense of being seen by her mother.

Her competitive career accelerated quickly. At 19, she finished Badwater, a 135-mile race in Death Valley. A year later, she completed the Arrowhead 135 in Minnesota, pulling a sled for nearly 54 hours. In 2013, she became the 13th person ever to finish the Barkley Marathons in Tennessee, a race where only 20 people had officially completed the course in its 40-year history. She subsequently competed in 200-mile races worldwide as a professional.

In 2018, doctors diagnosed her with a congenital bicuspid valve in her heart. The condition caused an aortic aneurysm that required open-heart surgery. She stated that the surgery ended her professional running career and the path to validation it provided. She spent the following five years in therapy, including dialectical behavior therapy and an inpatient program, to address mental health challenges such as the threat of suicide and self-harm.

She said she learned through therapy that running had protected her from deep-seated feelings of worthlessness developed in childhood. After recovering from her surgery, she began running again at a slower pace. She now participates in shorter distance events with the support of her wife and a running coach.

She plans to continue running for enjoyment rather than achievement. She is available to share her story with others in the endurance sports community who may relate to the psychological pressure of competitive racing.