{"id":14339,"date":"2018-02-01T16:57:03","date_gmt":"2018-02-01T23:57:03","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.uchealth.org\/today\/?p=14339"},"modified":"2023-11-14T15:40:02","modified_gmt":"2023-11-14T22:40:02","slug":"heart-transplant-recipient-training-for-personal-olympics","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.uchealth.org\/today\/heart-transplant-recipient-training-for-personal-olympics\/","title":{"rendered":"Heart transplant recipient training for \u2018personal Olympics\u2019"},"content":{"rendered":"
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The competition will be her Olympics.<\/p>\n

Three years ago, Becky Pomerleau suffered three heart attacks when she was just 34. A heart transplant at UCHealth University of Colorado Hospital<\/a> saved her life.<\/p>\n

\"Becky
A year ago, Becky became one of the faces of UCHealth. Today, she’s training to run in the Transplant Games. Photo courtesy of Becky Pomerleau.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

In August, she will compete in the Transplant Games of America<\/a> in Salt Lake City, Utah.<\/p>\n

Becky, now 38, was a competitive athlete, who graduated as the valedictorian of her Missouri high school after winning three state championships in track. She went on to run cross country and track at the University of Missouri.<\/p>\n

As a super-fit young woman, Becky never expected to suffer a heart attack, much less three of them during a ski trip to Colorado over Thanksgiving back in 2014.<\/p>\n

Doctors put her chances of survival then at less than 30 percent.<\/p>\n

But Becky\u2019s new heart gave her a second chance at life and she has become one of the inspiring faces of UCHealth. An ad featuring Becky debuted one year ago.<\/p>\n

From heart transplant to running again<\/h2>\n

One of the first questions Becky asked as she recovered from transplant surgery was, \u201cWhen can I start running?\u201d<\/p>\n

\"Becky
After a heart transplant, Becky, right, is now training for the Transplant Games. Photo courtesy of Becky Pomerleau.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Her rehabilitation therapists got her on her feet as quickly as possible, then strapped monitors to her body and let her start jogging on a treadmill.<\/p>\n

Becky and her husband met when both were living in Colorado, but they now live in Silicon Valley where she works for PayPal<\/a> and her husband works for GoPro.<\/p>\n

On a recent trip to a park near their home in California, Becky had a breakthrough moment. Her husband and his buddy regularly run together. Before the heart attacks, Becky easily kept up with the guys.<\/p>\n

When surgeons removed Becky\u2019s diseased heart and implanted the new one, they had to sever the nerves that connect her heart to the brain. That means Becky\u2019s heart can\u2019t send signals to her brain when she\u2019s challenging herself physically. So Becky has to be careful to warm up gradually and track her heart rate so it doesn\u2019t go too high.<\/p>\n

\"Becky
Becky has shared the story of her heart transplant at events for the American Heart Association and the Silicon Valley Prayer Breakfast. Photo courtesy of Becky Pomerleau.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

To keep her heart rate at safe levels, Becky mostly runs at her own pace.<\/p>\n

But on the day when Becky ran with the guys, her legs flew, her heart pounded and she felt like her old self again.<\/p>\n

\u201cI actually kept up with them for a mile. It was downhill. It was still hard, but it felt great. I totally had that adrenalin rush,\u201d Becky said.<\/p>\n

Now, Becky\u2019s training to compete again in all the races she used to love.<\/p>\n

Her favorite is the 800-meter, which translates to about a half mile.<\/p>\n

\u201cThere\u2019s something special for me about that race,\u201d Becky said.<\/p>\n

Her personal record in the 800-meter back in college was 2 minutes 11 seconds.<\/p>\n

Females who qualified for the Olympics then were running two minutes flat.<\/p>\n

At the Transplant Games, Becky will be running more slowly, but that doesn\u2019t matter. She\u2019s alive and thrilled that she can compete again.
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Learn more:<\/strong><\/p>\n