JUANA SUMMERS, HOST:
With the start of the Winter Olympics later this week, the attention on world-class athletes may inspire some people to get off the couch and move. In case you need more encouragmenet, here's another potential motivator. NPR's Allison Aubrey has a story of an 87-year-old triathlete in Cleveland who has overcome a lot of health challenges to stay in the game.
ALLISON AUBREY, BYLINE: If you think you're too slow or too out of shape to accomplish any physical feat, take it from Luise Easton - you may be capable of more than you realize. She competes in triathlons.
LUISE EASTON: When I was 80, I won in Denmark. And then I went to Spain last summer, and I won there.
AUBREY: She says it is easier to finish first when there's not too much competition in your age category. But it's still a thrill when they hang that medal around your neck at the medal ceremony.
EASTON: You still get on the podium. And everybody claps and says great. Yeah, it feels good (laughter).
AUBREY: Easton has always been active. But five years ago, she worried her athletic days might be behind her. She felt shortness of breath during workouts and went to see a sports medicine doctor at the Cleveland Clinic.
EASTON: They did all kinds of tests and found out that my heart isn't as strong as it's supposed to be.
AUBREY: Doctors measured her ejection fraction, which is an estimate of the amount of blood a person's heart pumps out with each heartbeat. Dr. Tamanna Singh, the sports cardiologist Easton saw, explains a low ejection fraction is a sign the heart is not pumping efficiently enough to keep up with the body's oxygen demands.
TAMANNA SINGH: We need to get oxygen to all of the parts of our body that need it, which is everything, you know, from our skin to our vital organs. So the heart is responsible for your circulation.
AUBREY: Dr. Singh and her team put Easton on some medications that can help, including a beta blocker, and helped her to adjust her workouts.
SINGH: Incorporating more recovery, changing around things with respect to intensity and exercise volume with her trainer. I think all of those things helped her be able to continue to race.
AUBREY: The good news is that up to 80% of heart disease can be prevented or treated with lifestyle changes and medications. But a new Cleveland Clinic survey finds most people are not aware that they're at risk of heart disease, even those who have high blood pressure. Dr. Victoria Maizes, an integrative medicine expert, says a focus on preventive care is so important.
VICTORIA MAIZES: We have this intrinsic recovery system that supports us in recovering from a wide range of conditions.
AUBREY: Maizes is the author of "Heal Faster." She says there are so many approaches to help people feel better, including medicines combined with lifestyle changes, including eating a healthy diet, exercise and managing stress. She says Easton's story exemplifies what's possible.
MAIZES: It's a wonderful and inspiring story. And it's really a reminder of our innate capacity to recover and do things that we are passionate about.
AUBREY: Luise Easton says her advice is to set aside your doubts and be realistic, especially when it's time to adjust what's possible.
EASTON: I'm 87 now, so everything I do is a little bit harder. Now, instead of running, I walk. But there's no rules that say you can't walk. I'm still out there, and I still can do it.
AUBREY: She may be slower, but it's clear she's still in the race.
Allison Aubrey, NPR News.
(SOUNDBITE OF MUSIC) Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.
NPR transcripts are created on a rush deadline by an NPR contractor. This text may not be in its final form and may be updated or revised in the future. Accuracy and availability may vary. The authoritative record of NPR’s programming is the audio record.
