Kristina Bangma
Before I was diagnosed with heart disease, I loved my life and everything about it. But living through the struggle of having it all taken away has given my life a richness I had to learn to appreciate. This daily reminder that my life is both precious and fleeting has made me grateful for each day. I am determined to make the most of my time on this earth.
My Story
As an endurance athlete, and coach, I had built my entire career on the belief that exercise was the key to a long and healthy life. Giving it up seemed unimaginable.
I was determined to find a solution for an incurable condition called Arrhythmogenic Right Ventricular Cardiomyopathy (ARVC), a rare genetic heart disease known to cause sudden death in athletes. Ignoring the doctor's advice, I spent a year in denial, constantly testing my limits and tempting fate.
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ARVC is often only diagnosed after death, but I was one of the fortunate ones. Living in Canada, where medical care is universal and free, meant I didn't have to make the difficult choices between financial limitations and necessary treatments. This accessibility likely saved my life.
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Eventually, my failing heart forced me to accept my fate and give up training and racing competitively. Losing my identity as an athlete was a profound blow, and I questioned my abilities as a coach and my purpose in life. Every day was a painful reminder of everything I had lost.
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I made a promise to myself that once I learned how to live (happily) with my diagnosis, I would share my journey to hopefully help others. My memoir, Athlete at Heart, reflects my experience of acceptance, perseverance, self-discovery, and growth, as well as the fears, misconceptions, mistakes, and false starts I encountered along the way.
While my story centres around endurance sports, particularly cycling, I believe anyone striving for change can relate to my journey.