5. Heather Laptalo: Defying Odds
“When I started moving and running — even though it wasn’t fast or far — I felt free.”
Thirteen years ago, doctors told Heather Laptalo that she’d never run a mile. She had an extreme case of scoliosis and kyphosis — both of which affect spinal alignment — and had three major back surgeries because of it. The first occurred when she was 13 years old and then two more at age 19. She had played soccer up until that point, but because she was missing ribs, she couldn’t risk the contact and had to stop. What’s worse, the spinal fusions meant she didn’t absorb shock well, so even walking felt painful.
While you might think rest was in order, none of this kept Laptalo from eventually running circles around her peers. After the final operation, she got in the pool as soon as she got the go-ahead. And, after endlessly asking doctors when she could try running again, she began alternating 100 meters of walking with 100 meters of running. The push paid off: A cross-country coach from San Jose State University recruited her to join the team.
“I think growing up as an athlete and then not being able to do it [after the surgeries], made me feel weak and horrible. Walking was hard and exhausting at first and I couldn’t raise my arm to brush my hair,” Laptalo, 32, says. “But when I started moving and running — even though it wasn’t fast or far — I felt free. And the more I did it, the freer I felt. Also, the more I felt like me, instead of this person trapped in a body that only resembled me.”
Laptalo continues to break through her so-called limitations. Despite limited lung function due to her missing ribs, she started skiing and climbing mountains, and prefers trail running to taking on roads. “It makes me feel powerful and confident that I’m getting to see a part of the world that people don’t get to see unless they have this physical ability,” she says. She even hiked to the Everest base camp at nearly 18,000 feet. “I was in awe of my body — just really excited to be alive and energized.” And just this summer, she ran 50 miles doing the Grand Canyon Rim-to-Rim.
“I still have a lot of pain and discomfort, but I feel like when I’m active, the pain disappears. Maybe I don’t notice it, because I’m enjoying the experience so much,” she says. “But when I’m having a bad day, when my body is bothering me and I’m struggling physically or mentally, I just realize how lucky I am to be able to do this — even when I wasn’t supposed to.”
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Click HERE to Read Nicole Schuman’s Story of Discovering Self-Confidence