Catching Kayla: Champion Teen Distance Runner With MS

[orangeblossom]

POSSIBLE TRIGGER: The link includes the video of her running, where she collapses in her coach's arms and asks for help at the end of each race.

www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/11/21/kayla-montgomery-runner-teen-with-ms_n_6200754.html?ncid=fcbklnkushpmg00000063

“My legs. Where’d they go? Please help me. Please help me find my legs.”

Every time Kayla Montgomery crosses the finish line after running a race, she endures several minutes of extreme distress as she struggles to regain feeling in both her legs.

Montgomery is one of the top young distance runners in the U.S. She also happens to have multiple sclerosis, a debilitating disease in which disrupted nerve signals in her body cause her to experience complete numbness in her legs when she runs. Only when she stops to rest and her body temperature returns to normal do her MS symptoms subside.

In "Catching Kayla," a moving ESPN feature on Montgomery's life released online this week, the young woman's courage and indefatigable passion in the face of such seemingly insurmountable odds are thrown into sharp relief.

As the video shows, Montgomery has, over the last few years, transformed herself into a star athlete. Thanks to her unwavering dedication and hard work, she went from being just an average competitor to the best long distance runner at Mount Tabor High School in Winston-Salem, N.C., before eventually making a name for herself as one of the fastest distance runners in the state -- and in the whole country.

Earlier this year, Montgomery clinched the North Carolina state title in the 3,200-meter race. "Her time of 10 minutes 43 seconds ranks her 21st in the country," the New York Times wrote in March.

Multiple sclerosis is an unpredictable disease and for now it's unclear how Montgomery's condition will progress. But the young woman -- who's currently a student at Lipscomb University in Nashville where she runs for the women's cross-country team -- has vowed to continue running for as long as she possibly can.

“[Running] makes me feel normal, and whole,” she told ESPN. “It’s difficult to live with a disease where your own body’s fighting against yourself; so when I’m running I feel like I’m battling that, I feel like I’m safe from myself. As long as I’m running, everything’s fine.”

Watch ESPN's coverage of Kayla Montgomery in the video above. We suggest that you watch it till the end; it's a powerful portrait of a truly remarkable young woman.

[blueshirt2003]

Wow, that was a touching video. I cried for her. Her coach seems like such an amazing man. What a wonderful support team she has via her parents and coaches.

[foundmylazybum]

They are amazing.

[orangeblossom]

She's got a lot of spirit.

I will say I kind of covered my eyes the first time they showed her falling. Her asking for help was hard to hear.

I'm not a parent, but I would imagine it would be so hard to see that happen as let her continue to participate, but at the same time, know this is what makes her happy and keeps her moving

I can't believe some people were like she has an unfair advantage, because she can't feel her legs. I hate people. I love her response though.

[arch01]

Amazing!

[feistypants]

I'm crying like a baby. What a courageous girl.

[foundmylazybum]

Nov 22, 2014 14:39:09 GMT -5 orangeblossom said:

She's got a lot of spirit.

I will say I kind of covered my eyes the first time they showed her falling. Her asking for help was hard to hear.

I'm not a parent, but I would imagine it would be so hard to see that happen as let her continue to participate, but at the same time, know this is what makes her happy and keeps her moving

I can't believe some people were like she has an unfair advantage, because she can't feel her legs. I hate people. I love her response though.

Some people are single minded and have on blinders...thus they are basically idiots.   When people say things like that I feel like the response should be "So, would you LIKE to have MS?"  MS is not a performance enhancer. She must work that much harder through MS than the regular person.

It's flipped logic morons.

[macchiatto]

She is so inspiring.
(And yes, the unfair advantage nonsense makes me ragey.)
I was 24 when I had my first MS attack; I can't imagine dealing with it from a younger age like she has.

[Cicero]

Nov 22, 2014 14:39:09 GMT -5 orangeblossom said:

She's got a lot of spirit.

I will say I kind of covered my eyes the first time they showed her falling. Her asking for help was hard to hear.

I'm not a parent, but I would imagine it would be so hard to see that happen as let her continue to participate, but at the same time, know this is what makes her happy and keeps her moving

I can't believe some people were like she has an unfair advantage, because she can't feel her legs. I hate people. I love her response though.

I feel uniquely qualified to say that the only time not being able to feel your legs is an advantage is when you are going for a Brazilian. Eff them.

[orangeblossom]

Nov 23, 2014 0:00:36 GMT -5 macchiatto said:

She is so inspiring.
(And yes, the unfair advantage nonsense makes me ragey.)
I was 24 when I had my first MS attack; I can't imagine dealing with it from a younger age like she has.

Yeah, I was really surprised at how young she was when she was diagnosed. 

That is really tough, but she seems to be adjusting and coping as well as can be expected. 

I wonder how she's doing on her college team.  

[Deleted]

I would say she does have an "unfair advantage" - but its the same as anyone else who has, say, very balanced left and right features (making you more efficient) or very long legs, or any of a million other things that can naturally occur. Whats that weed addled swimmer's name? Isn't he double jointed in like 16 places or something? I dont see it as a relevant complaint. Its like saying "its not fair, that boxer is 6ft 8" and Im only 6ft 2". It is what it is.
So thats fine. Most professional athletes have an unfair advantage over everyone, in the fact that they are physically good at things. Its nice to say anyone can be a world champion runner, but its absolutely not true. Some of us are better built for running from the start, just by our genes etc.

And in this case, I think the advantage is pretty shitty. She can run better? Thats nice. Now, who will swap a perfectly healthy body for an MS one so they can run faster? No one? Yeah thats what I thought.

Its when its an enhanced, not naturally occurring advantage that it becomes cheating. Otherwise, STFU and admire someone who is amazing.

[Cicero]

It would never occur to me to classify something that makes you a fall risk as an advantage.

I think people hear legs going numb and think hey, you can't feel aches and pains--which isn't true to begin with because it's kind of a dead feeling that can come with its own persistent and uncomfortable pulse--but in reality it also means that you can't 100% control where you are putting your feet and often comes with muscle weakness. One minute you're walking around like a drunken sailor and the next boom, your legs are gone and you're on the ground.

I know that everyone has slightly different symptoms and they can present differently in different individuals. But being a relatively athletic person who has experienced the MS numb legs myself (and was training for a half-ironman when it hit) there is no way in hell I'd be able to run through that particular shitty symptom. No way in Hell.

This girl is my hero.

[foundmylazybum]

Nov 23, 2014 10:56:24 GMT -5 @eveer said:

I would say she does have an "unfair advantage" - but its the same as anyone else who has, say, very balanced left and right features (making you more efficient) or very long legs, or any of a million other things that can naturally occur. Whats that weed addled swimmer's name? Isn't he double jointed in like 16 places or something? I dont see it as a relevant complaint. Its like saying "its not fair, that boxer is 6ft 8" and Im only 6ft 2". It is what it is.
So thats fine. Most professional athletes have an unfair advantage over everyone, in the fact that they are physically good at things. Its nice to say anyone can be a world champion runner, but its absolutely not true. Some of us are better built for running from the start, just by our genes etc.

And in this case, I think the advantage is pretty shitty. She can run better? Thats nice. Now, who will swap a perfectly healthy body for an MS one so they can run faster? No one? Yeah thats what I thought.

Its when its an enhanced, not naturally occurring advantage that it becomes cheating. Otherwise, STFU and admire someone who is amazing.

Whenever I hear this comment I wonder who is qualified to evaluate athlete's genetics.

"Michael Phelps is double jointed! He was destined to become an Olympian!" No way it could have been the hours and hours of hard work and dedication in the pool, or his mental toughness. GENETICS.