When I was growing up, I loved to run; I’m not sure why. Everyone I talked to said they did not like running. My friends and parents would encourage me to keep doing what I enjoyed doing regardless of what others may say or think. I had a pretty bad accident when I was growing up, and I thought it would be the end of my ability to run. When I did learn that I could run as a sport in school, I was ecstatic and knew that was what I wanted to do.
Growing up, I spent a great deal of time running. It was quite a relaxing activity, as surprising as it may sound. I loved to run. My parents supported me and encouraged me to keep doing it as kids my age like to spend time inside. The exercise was good to have. Before I could get into high school, I got in a bad accident. My father and I were out for a run on a mountainside. We have run this trail many times before. Today was a little different from what I was used to, however. It had rained the night before, and the ground was caked with mud. I took a wrong step and slipped to the ground. I fell forward; before I could catch myself, I realized I was falling down the side of the mountain. It was not a steep incline but enough to get some speed going. I came to an abrupt stop wrapped around a tree. I passed out to hearing my dad yelling done at me.
When I woke up, I was in the hospital with a concussion and a sprained ankle, along with some internal damage. The doctor told me that I had a large intestine rupture and needed a colostomy procedure to help aid this. If I did not get the procedure, I would have bowel movement problems. After talking with my parents, we decided that it would be best to do what the doctor told me to do. Following my procedure, I asked the doctor if I could still run, and with a smile, he told me yes. I was so relieved about that because the high school I was going to had a cross country team I was going to join. When school started, I joined the team, and the first practice was a week later.
For practice, we ran a few miles. I was done roughly ten minutes before the next person showed. The coach and I had a good chat in those ten minutes, and I confided in him that I have an ostomy bad. He was so surprised about the fact that I was able to not only finish first but do it with an ostomy bag. I went on to win many cross country meets for the school in my high school time. I loved to run, and the winning was a plus.
As a child, I loved to run. It was very relaxing to me, and anytime I told someone that I did it for fun, they would always make a face. It was funny to me to see that. I am glad to have had the support of my family and friends. Without them, I’m not sure if I would have been a runner in school. This opened some doors for me, and I was approached by a recruiter who offered me a full-ride scholarship to the school he was representing; I, of course, said yes. I am looking forward to running more in college and further on.
J-Pouch Health 