Oh the Places I've Been

"You have brains in your head.

You have feet in your shoes.

You can steer yourself any direction you choose.

You're on your own. And you know what you know.

And you are the one who'll decide where to go."- Dr. Suess

Every week Lauren Rio, the coordinator for USAT of the Ambassador program gives us a question to answer on our social media channels. This week's question is: What are the benefits of multi sport?

There have been benefits for me personally, but more importantly for the wider CMT community I've chosen to represent.

Injury Prevention
When I was training for my first marathon, I was diagnosed with a stress fracture. I didn't know at the time that I had CMT. CMT is a genetic condition much like MS I inherited from my dad.

As a long distance runner I was constantly getting injured. I found I couldn't run every day and started supplementing my training with cycling and swimming.

I started in multi sport doing duathlons because it took me some time to get up the courage to do a race with an open water swim.  I was swimming, biking and running every week, so I thought I might as well be doing triathlons.

Being a multi sport athlete has allowed me to stay active and pretty much injury free.  In addition to being a multi sport athlete, I still do long distance running. I've completed three Boston marathons running only three days a week because I train in three sports. The cross training has allowed me to still perform at a high level despite my CMT. It literally has allowed me to stay active.

The Places I've Been
No one would have ever thought I was an athlete growing up. I clumsy and uncoordinated.  I fell a lot. My knees were constantly skinned. I was always picked last for teams. In junior high I was on the volleyball team, but I sat on the bench for two years. I did not get into even one game.  I was pretty much a straight A student in school except for gym and handwriting (Cs in both). Both things influenced by my CMT.

Being a triathlete has allowed me to compete at National Championships in Arizona, Wisconsin, Florida, Minnesota, and Texas.  I've qualified for Team USA in Winter Triathlon, Long Course Triathlon, Sprint Duathlon, Long Course Duathlon and Aquathlon. I've competed at the World Championship for Aquathlon in Denmark,  Mexico and in Chicago.  I am so proud to have represented my country in these World Championship races. I think one of the proudest moments of my life has been waving the little flag the team manger gave me as I crossed the finish line in those World Championship races.

Being a multi-sport has helped me grow tremendously as an athlete. It gives me a healthy outlet for my type A behavior.  I look forward to planning out each season and thinking about what National Championship race I am going to do to qualify once again to be a Team USA member.

I've been nationally ranked as an aquathlon athlete (Age Group) and was even an para-aquathlon All American a few years ago.

I've met wonderful people at every race and made lifelong friends. It has been one of the best parts of being a multi-sport athlete.

I could never have imagined as that child sitting on the bench and struggling through gym class the places multi-sport would take me.

Inspire
USAT is really the only organization that I know of that has the ability for a Physically Challenged athletes like myself to compete at the grassroots level.  That means I can race and ask for needed accommodations at any USAT sanctioned race.

 Sometimes honestly I've not been treated well by race directors. I get it, because I don't look impaired.  In those instances I've contacted USAT and they've stood behind me 100%.

There is a national championship for us and the chance to quality to race as elite athletes including the paralympics.

When I was diagnosed in 2011, I made a choice to stay positive and active.   For years patients diagnosed with CMT were told to go home and not be active. The thinking was that activity would speed progression of the condition.  I knew from my own experience that this was false. By the time I had been diagnosed I have finished four marathons.  I decided not just to be active, but to spread that message to the larger CMT community.

Being an athlete with CMT was extremely rare when I started.  Many in the community were extremely negative and bitter.  I was told I was a fraud because no one with CMT could run. I even heard comments from medical professionals that people with CMT can't run. I showed them they were wrong.

I started a team to raise awareness and found other athletes including Ironman finishers with CMT. Team CMT has countless athletes with CMT striving to stay active, raise awareness and funds for CMT research.  Together we have raised over $230 K. We funded a research project that proved not only is exercise with CMT not harmful, but that exercise can make you stronger.  That was something I already knew, but now the larger CMT community was catching on to the idea of staying active.

I have seen the conversations change on social media to I cannot exercise, to what kind of exercise can I do.  Multi-sport has helped me and my Team CMT members do this. Thank you USAT for supporting me as a multi-sport athlete.

My future is always uncertain as a CMT affected athlete. CMT is a funny disease and it can accelerate suddenly.  I always know in the back of my mind that CMT will steal my athletic ability bit by bit.

Even if the day comes when I can no longer complete, multi-sport has helped me to forge a legacy for myself and the larger CMT community.  Thank You USAT and all my friends, family and Team CMT members with me on this journey! Oh the places we've been and the things we've done!

****************************

Chris Wodke

Founder & Manager Team CMT

www.run4cmt.com

Chris is a triathlete and long distance runner. She is a three time participant of the Boston Marathon.  In 2012 she finished 2nd at Boston in the Mobility Impaired Division. She was on the course in 2013 when the bombs exploded.

She has appeared three times at the Paratriathlon National Triathlon Sprint Championship. She was the 2012 and 2014 National Champion Paratriathlon Open Division Champion.

In 2014 she was the PC Open Champion at the Duathlon National Championship and at the Aqua bike National Championship in 2016. She represented Team USA at the Aquathon ITU World Championship in Chicago in 2015i, Cozumel in 2016 and Denmark in 2018. In 2018 finishing 5^th in the 60 to 64 age group.

 In 2014 she represented the U.S. as a paratriathlete at the Pan-American Triathlon Championship in Dallas, Texas.  She has won state championships in cycling and triathlon as a senior Olympian. In 2017 she placed 2^nd in her age group at the Winter Triathlon National Championship, earning a spot on Team USA for the World Championship.

She travels around the country raising awareness of CMT.

She is the author of the book, “Running for My Life” that details her experience as a CMT affected athlete and the book “Soup Sundays, A Journey Toward Healthy Eating”.

http://www.henschelhausbooks.com/catalog/memoir-biography/215-running-for-my-life-winning-for-cmt-9781595982827.html

You may visit her author page at:
http://www.amazon.com/Christine-Wodke/e/B00IJ02HX6

Team CMT is a group of athletes and supporters working to raise awareness and to find a cure for CMT. We have 218 members in 39 states. We also have members in Australia, England, Scotland, Canada, Vietnam, Turkey, Finland, France, Ireland, Poland, Iran, Norway and Sweden. If you wish to join us visit our web site; www.run4cmt.com or www.hnf-cure.org

CMT or Charcot-Marie-Tooth is the most commonly inherited peripheral neuropathy. It affects over 155,000 Americans (as many as MS).  It is a disease of the nerves that control the muscles. It is slowly progressive, causing loss of normal function and or sensation in the lower legs/feet and arms/hands.

Symptoms include; muscle wasting in the lower legs and feet leading to foot drop, poor balance and gait problems Atrophy in the hands causes difficulty with manual dexterity.

Structural foot deformities such as high arches and hammer toes are common.

Poor tolerance for cool or cold temperatures and many people have chronically cold hands and feet.

Additional symptoms may include fatigue, sleep apnea, breathing difficulties and hearing loss.

Additional Link

Follow CMT affected Paratriathlete Timmy Dixon
http://cmtamputee.wordpress.com/

Follow CMT Author Chris Steinke
https://cmtandmesite.wordpress.com/2017/01/30/what-is-charcot-marie-tooth-disease/

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