I am writing my story to inspire the heck out of every athlete who is trying to overcome an injury because injuries do happen, and we all fear it can destroy our hard work and dreams.

Seven years ago, on a different continent and hemisphere an armed robber pushed a gun to my leg and pulled the trigger. I had just returned home from competing in my third Ironman, feeling strong and probably in the best shape of my life. As good endings go, my fitness and strength saved my life. The bullet severed my femoral artery, shattered my femur, and disintegrated a section of my quadricep, leaving me with severe nerve damage.

Fast forward one year and 8 surgeries later, I found myself in the USA with a dream to do what I love: train, swim, bike, but most of all run.

That dream came to fruition when I was asked to jump in last minute as a pacer (not competitor yet) for the Leadville 100. I can still remember the inspirational talk by Ken and Marilee on August 18th 2023, the day before the race kicked off. All I could think was, “I’m in Leadville! On top of the world! I can be part of it! I can help! But most importantly, I can run!”

The journey to regaining my running abilities was not a solitary one. I had new friends make me run behind them to lose my limp and retain rhythm in my run. My CrossFit turned personal coach who to this day give me a pause when I hurt so bad that I want to throw up in my mouth.

Thereafter, my amazing husband and I stumbled on a “sundayruns” group, a unique group of runners who, ironically, run most days of the week. No person is left behind and everyone who shows up gets the honor of being included in the pre-run picture.

However healing these groups run were, my injury, a fickle companion, was an ever-present hindrance. As such, I scoured the web and stumbled (literally and figuratively) on my coach Dr. Scott Jordan from Boundless Coaching. He is an MD who understands the mechanics of my leg and has more miles on his legs than I have on my car. It is through him and numerous other loved ones that I am able to get up every day, put on my headlamp, and proudly call myself a trail runner.

In conclusion, my fellow runner, the days where you feel you’ve taken a metaphorical bullet (pun intended), take a deep breath and find strength in knowing that injuries, no matter the severity, do heal.