Run, Write, Repeat: A Tale Of Two Sisters


   In my experience running I have been privileged to meet numerous people who have inspired me. Many of these people I have had the opportunity to train with every day as they have been teammates. I have been teammates with Erin and Ellie Quam for over five years, and throughout that time they both have overcome significant adversity and demonstrated incredible resilience that perfectly embodies all of the things that make me proud to be a part of this sport. Although running has not always been enjoyable for them, they have found the importance of working as hard as they can every day regardless of how the results may go. I hope that their stories prove as inspiring to you as they have to me.

MPA girls cc team at sections 2016

Erin:

    Erin Quam (MPA Class of 2017) started running cross country in 7th grade when she transferred to Mounds Park Academy. Having competed in sports ranging from soccer to hockey, deciding which sport to compete in at her new school was a challenge. "Running itself was not my biggest motivator to join the team, but rather the people who were on the team," she told me when I asked why she chose cross country over soccer. "Looking back, my favorite memories were days where we would play fox and hounds, go on our annual DQ runs, team bonding, and especially cheering on all of our teammates at races."

     Erin was a talented young runner, entering the MPA top-20 cross country runners all-time list in only her freshman year. Up to that point, running had been very up and down for her. Reflecting on her running prior to tenth grade Erin said that, "I felt more or less comfortable, but at times I would go from having a great race to feeling like I could not walk."

     There were three moments that Erin recalls as the scariest in her running career when she felt that something could be medically wrong with her.

"The first time I remember feeling bad was in fourth grade. I felt something funny in my heart and after a normal EKG I went to a therapist where they said that anxiety was likely the cause." Erin persisted through her discomforts until her eighth grade year. Prior to a 25 kilometer nordic ski race Erin was frightened by recurrent chest pains, and with another normal EKG doctors suspected that anxiety was still the likely cause.

     On a Friday afternoon during a threshold run her senior year Erin knew that something had to be wrong.  After feeling chest pains worse than ever before she recalled, "having to stop because I was concerned for my own safety." After numerous appointments and consultations, Erin's cardiologist, Dr. Charles Baker, decided to try another test, an echocardiogram which showed a troubling image. A few days later she was diagnosed with an anomalous right coronary artery- a congenital heart defect that limited the blood supply to her heart; a condition which, if left undiagnosed, can be fatal.

     "My initial reaction after my diagnosis was shock, but at the same time a strange sense of relief came over me. After knowing for so long that something had been wrong it was nice to finally get some answers." Later Erin was informed that she would need to have open-heart surgery soon to correct the defect.

     It cannot be understated how incredible it is to have personally watched Erin's persevere through the 7 years that I have known her. "I stuck with it because I wanted to be as strong as my teammates. Not knowing about my medical issues at the time made me feel that my only option was to stay and train to get better. It was hard to think that I just wasn't as good as the people around me."

     Erin was allowed to compete in one last high school cross country race before her surgery, provided that she kept her heart rate low and stopped should anything feel wrong. "I was relieved to be given another race to make my last. Having ended junior year struggling to finish the race at sections I wanted to finish my high school career in a more positive way."    

 

Erin's last high school cross country race at Milaca

    Erin underwent successful open-heart surgery on October 5th, 2016 at the Mayo Clinic. After weeks of slow and painful recovery she returned to school and slowly resumed her normal activities. Recalling her first run after recovering from surgery Erin stated that, "It lasted only about 200 meters and I was tired almost right away, but it was so nice to do something after sitting around for so long."  Drawing on the small victories, Erin returned to sports over the winter. Completing numerous 5k races in nordic skiing she was excited to continue building up her strength to the point where she was prior to surgery. However, once spring came and the track season started Erin started to have some doubts.

Skiing was a lot harder than I thought it would be, and I was always making excuses for why my recovery was slow. I was working hard to catch up in school, I was applying to colleges and I figured it would just take time, but after a few weeks of track season I saw that my progress was limited and I began to think that something perhaps could still be wrong. I didn't expect huge things of myself after surgery, but as the months passed I was frustrated to see how little progress I had made.

    As the school year ended, Erin began to identify parts of her life that she felt were out of her own control. In particular she began to question the high fatigue levels she faced. In a conversation to her mother she said, "I'm sleeping away my whole life. I want to do things, be with friends, run, but day after day I wake up more exhausted than the last."

     In early August of this year Erin was hospitalized again after experiencing severe pain in her shoulders and chest. Doctors found fluid in her heart, lungs, and abdomen and after three days they finally found the answer that would change Erin's life. Erin had been living with Addison's disease since around October of 2016. Addison's is an autoimmune disease that can present itself after significant physical traumas such as a car accident or, in Erin's case, an open heart surgery. Addison's causes the adrenal glands to not produce enough of the hormone, cortisol. Cortisol regulates a wide range of processes including metabolism, immune response, and how the body responds to stress. A deficiency in cortisol can be life-threatening when the body is put under stress. Fortunately, Erin was diagnosed in time and in her own words, "the three pills I take every day now have changed my life." Immediately after receiving her first dose of cortisol in the hospital Erin began to notice a difference in the way she felt. She was energized, happy, and relieved to learn that she had no control over the low-energy levels that had haunted her for the last year.

     The attitude that Erin carried with her through all of the challenges she faced in the last year has been nothing short of remarkable. Rather than feeling as though she was a victim of uncontrollable medical issues the first word that came to Erin's mind when I asked her how she feels looking back was lucky. "I was lucky that all of these things were found in time before they became more serious problems. Looking back I'm frightened by seeing how many points in my life could have been different due to the issues that I've had, and I can't help but feel lucky that I am healthy and safe today."

     When I asked her what kept her running she humbly stated that, "I didn't realize what a big part of my life it was until there was a point where it was taken away from me." Competing at the highest level was never the thing that Erin valued about running. Erin loved being with her friends, cheering them on at races, and she acknowledged the privilege that she had to simply be able to run.

     When I asked Erin what she would share with other people who face challenges, particularly with running, she stated that:

You should always be comfortable trusting yourself and advocating for yourself if you think something is wrong. Many people who have issues like I did aren't as lucky as I was and it can be dangerous. There comes a point where you can't just keep pushing yourself when things clearly aren't getting better.

Erin hopes to raise awareness to prevent some of the estimated 350,000 deaths per year in young men and women as a result of sudden cardiac arrest due to undiagnosed heart defects.

    Today Erin continues her recovery and she cites running as, "something I'm starting to enjoy again." In the space of a year she faced more adversity than many people face in a lifetime, she was accepted to all of the colleges she applied to (Erin will attend The College of Saint Benedict starting fall 2018), and most importantly she kept running through every obstacle that she encountered with unwavering courage, bravery, and dedication.

Erin and Ellie at Erin's graduation this past spring

Ellie:

    Ellie Quam (MPA class of 2019) was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes and celiac disease at age nine (fourth grade). After exhibiting hyperglycemic symptoms she went to the doctor and was hospitalized for four days while she was diagnosed and taught how her life would change. "I remember being very confused. I was so young at the time and I was initially frightened, but after having everything explained to me I started to feel better," Ellie recalled when I asked her about her initial feelings after hearing her diagnosis.

     After being diagnosed Ellie was forced to make significant changes to her everyday life. Initially she took at least four shots of insulin per day (before switching to a pump a few months later), had to cut out gluten from her diet, and was given a significant amount of responsibility for a young fourth grader.  Ellie joked, "I remember becoming great friends with my nurse! I used to have to go see her everyday at lunch."

     Similar to her sister, Ellie started running for fun and in local races when she was young. "I wanted to follow in the footsteps of my older sister. I thought it would be a good way to meet new people and it would keep me in shape," she recalled when I asked her why she chose cross country when she moved to Mounds Park Academy in 7th grade.

     It is no secret that many people who run do not do it just to compete. Ellie reflected on her favorite moments on the team and the reasons why she runs:

I loved doing it because I've met some of my best friends through running. I loved our team bonding days, for example when all of the girls will make blankets together, and especially I love cheering on everybody at races. Having a support system of people who you can empathize with you on days that don't necessarily go as well as planned means a lot to me.

Ellie competing at track true team sections 2017

Ellie has been a talented runner throughout her MPA running career in spite of the challenges that she has faced. "Sometimes it's hard and frustrating...performing well with diabetes takes a lot of care and managing my blood sugar is challenging at times." In spite of this, Ellie has exhibited an incredible attitude everyday that she runs. Her focus on things within her control and the benefits of what she is doing keep her driven to keep going. "Performing well in competitions isn't necessarily the most important thing to me now. I'm focused on being healthy and safe. I keep running because I'm with my friends and I can see how good it is for me despite how challenging it can be at times."

     Ellie draws inspiration from watching her sister work through the obstacles that she has faced. "The attitude that she has had through everything and the resilience she has shown motivates me to keep going. Seeing Erin push through things that were out of her control without blaming anybody or anything has helped me stay positive and continue to push through the challenges I face."

     Apart from running cross country Ellie is one of the best 100 and 300 meter hurdlers in MPA history, an accomplished dancer (most days she goes from school to cross country practice to two hours of dance before beginning homework), and an incredible friend to everybody who has the privilege to meet her. I have had this privilege for the past six years and the balance Ellie strikes between being a leader and friend to the rest of the team and taking care of herself while pushing through adversity has been inspiring to watch. Ellie has put countless hours of work into her running, and reflecting on what she has gained from her experiences on the cross country team Ellie admitted that she knows she is, "not always going to be the best runner, but I do it because I am with my friends, it is a community of people that support each other, and it keeps me healthy and in shape."

     Erin and Ellie have been inspirations to the entire Mounds Park community. It is stories like theirs that prove achievement cannot be measured by publicity or fame. Erin and Ellie have been two of the most inspiring people I have ever met and they have both faced daily challenges unimaginable to myself while continuing to perform to the best of their abilities. Their accomplishments have been nothing short of remarkable, ranging from small personal victories like Erin's first run after surgery, to Ellie's runner-up finish in the 100 meter high hurdles at the IMAC conference championships (which was only the third time that she had competed in the event), or the numerous conference team titles that they have won together in nordic skiing.

     Erin and Ellie have taught me that running is not something you do for other people. They have taught me that running is a gift and a privilege, and through every challenge that they have faced they have kept their heads up and worked to be the best that they can be. There has yet to be a race in my running career when their stories and friendship have failed to inspire me and in spite of all that they have gone through they are still running today.

    Happy running!

Stories worth telling?
Questions, comments, concerns?
dahlbergxc@gmail.com