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Race After Race, Teenager Crosses Finish Line, Then Collapses

nytimes.com

31–40 of 43 posts

Re: Race After Race, Teenager Crosses Finish Line, Then Collapses

#31
post #18
post #4

"I can't breathe!" "Am I getting a medal?" Well done, American society, well done parents. Edit: I realize this is a snarky comment but this was my initial reading of the article. Sure she is brave. I guess? This just seems rather extreme. It's sure not the kind of values I would want to see in my kids. You know, breathing, and staying conscious, and not depriving one's brain or body of oxygen, these are sort of impo…

Being able to thrive and do well at something physically demanding in spite of a disease is very empowering. Her mind being on her next medal is probably better than her mind being on her next fainting spell.

Sure, I see that. I'm all for empowering oneself that's for sure.

Setting aside my snark, there's no doubt that she is courageous, ambitious and clearly successful.

Re: Race After Race, Teenager Crosses Finish Line, Then Collapses

#32
post #4

"I can't breathe!" "Am I getting a medal?" Well done, American society, well done parents. Edit: I realize this is a snarky comment but this was my initial reading of the article. Sure she is brave. I guess? This just seems rather extreme. It's sure not the kind of values I would want to see in my kids. You know, breathing, and staying conscious, and not depriving one's brain or body of oxygen, these are sort of impo…

> Well done, American society, well done parents.

Does she not get to make her own choices about her own life?

Re: Race After Race, Teenager Crosses Finish Line, Then Collapses

#33
post #4

"I can't breathe!" "Am I getting a medal?" Well done, American society, well done parents. Edit: I realize this is a snarky comment but this was my initial reading of the article. Sure she is brave. I guess? This just seems rather extreme. It's sure not the kind of values I would want to see in my kids. You know, breathing, and staying conscious, and not depriving one's brain or body of oxygen, these are sort of impo…

My wife has NCS, and a titanium pin in her skull from her worst fall. First, her doctor does clear her for exercise as well, the benefits outweight the risks. Second, there is no cure. It gets better with age, over decades. If you're going to restrain yourself because you're sick, well, it's forever. I can certainly understand those who choose to live with the restrictions for increased safety. But I bet you can also…

Sure --- I can see that for sure. It sounds like an awful condition and anything one can do to gain some feeling of control, or overcoming limitations, I can see that.

Re: Race After Race, Teenager Crosses Finish Line, Then Collapses

#34
post #4

"I can't breathe!" "Am I getting a medal?" Well done, American society, well done parents. Edit: I realize this is a snarky comment but this was my initial reading of the article. Sure she is brave. I guess? This just seems rather extreme. It's sure not the kind of values I would want to see in my kids. You know, breathing, and staying conscious, and not depriving one's brain or body of oxygen, these are sort of impo…

> Well done, American society, well done parents. Does she not get to make her own choices about her own life?

sure!

but I'm not sure what that has to do with my comments or anything else.

But yes I 100% totally agree with your statement.

Re: Race After Race, Teenager Crosses Finish Line, Then Collapses

#35
post #17
post #4

"I can't breathe!" "Am I getting a medal?" Well done, American society, well done parents. Edit: I realize this is a snarky comment but this was my initial reading of the article. Sure she is brave. I guess? This just seems rather extreme. It's sure not the kind of values I would want to see in my kids. You know, breathing, and staying conscious, and not depriving one's brain or body of oxygen, these are sort of impo…

There's really no winning here. Had Sam's school prevented her from competing, there would probably be a comment addressing liability and blaming the litigiousness of US culture. Sam's behavior is not an indictment of American society or her parents. In the article, her parents care deeply for her. They were extremely concerned about her health, and only allowed her to run again once doctors deemed her fainting benig…

nice times!!!

I take your points, it does sound like people around her have concerns and maybe the quotes I selected to illustrate my snark can be more chalked up to typical adolescence.

Re: Race After Race, Teenager Crosses Finish Line, Then Collapses

#36
post #4

"I can't breathe!" "Am I getting a medal?" Well done, American society, well done parents. Edit: I realize this is a snarky comment but this was my initial reading of the article. Sure she is brave. I guess? This just seems rather extreme. It's sure not the kind of values I would want to see in my kids. You know, breathing, and staying conscious, and not depriving one's brain or body of oxygen, these are sort of impo…

Still, all of the doctors they visited, Dale Peterman said, cleared Sam to run. “If we didn’t have the utmost medical clearance for her to run,” he said, “she wouldn’t be running.” We aren't so fragile.

it's true ... chalk up some of my snark to my own anxiety & hypochondria, projected outward

Re: Race After Race, Teenager Crosses Finish Line, Then Collapses

#37
post #34

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> Well done, American society, well done parents. Does she not get to make her own choices about her own life?

sure! but I'm not sure what that has to do with my comments or anything else. But yes I 100% totally agree with your statement.

It seems insulting to suggest that someone's well-informed personal choice about their own life is wrong. Doublely so when you put the blame for the wrong choice on others, as if she was so incapable that she's blameless.

Just saying, if I were her, I'd be insulted you thought so little of me.

Re: Race After Race, Teenager Crosses Finish Line, Then Collapses

#38
The even crazier runner is the one with MS who continues to run and is now one of the best distance runners in the country. She also collapses at the finish line. There was an ESPN short video piece about her last year:

http://espn.go.com/video/clip?id=11909407

The NYT wrote an article as well and it is linked in the above article but I thought I would call it out here:

http://www.nytimes.com/2014/03/04/sports/for-runner-with-ms-...

Re: Race After Race, Teenager Crosses Finish Line, Then Collapses

#39
post #34

Earlier quoted context omitted.

sure! but I'm not sure what that has to do with my comments or anything else. But yes I 100% totally agree with your statement.

It seems insulting to suggest that someone's well-informed personal choice about their own life is wrong. Doublely so when you put the blame for the wrong choice on others, as if she was so incapable that she's blameless. Just saying, if I were her, I'd be insulted you thought so little of me.

[deleted]

Re: Race After Race, Teenager Crosses Finish Line, Then Collapses

#40
Trying to compete in athletics when you have serious medical issues is not easy... I was so goddamned stubborn that I played basketball through my chemotherapy treatments for Hodgkin's Disease in HS.

I was starting games at less than 50% of my baseline red blood cell count when I was 16. I could only play about four or six minutes at a stretch before I would have to come out, completely exhausted. That, and pissing bright-red urine in the locker room on those days when I had to get my treatments in the mornings and play a game in the evening were lots of fun. Oh, also seeing the towel come away covered in hair as I mopped up the sweat after playing a shift.

More power to this gal if she can strive through her issues and succeed.

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