April Athlete of the Month

 March was great fun participating in the @TeamStopTheClot 100,000 reason ride during #BloodClotAwarenessMonth event.

It was a blast getting to participate in this event.  BLOOD CLOT SURVIVORS REALLY CAN DO ANYTHING... I had the chance to compete against individuals who were really throwing some miles on their machines. It was impressive to see the totals get reported everyday.  I was inspired to workout everyday to see what I could against others.  

Not only did we get to have some friendly competition but also got to make incredible connections.

According to the numbers from the event we got to reach out to about 225,000 people over the course of the month. HOW AMAZING is that...?!?!

Getting the message of awareness out to so many people is truly remarkable.  This is going to make an impact in potentially saving some lives but also helping people recover from their own blood clotting incident.  Getting to support others in their journey to recovery is critical and a component of our mission that is very important to emphasize as much as possible.  

YOU ARE NOT ALONE in overcoming your blood clotting incident!

It was very cool to see so many people from around the world participating in this event.  

One of the coolest features of this event was to get to compete against a former Olympic Athlete.  

That does not happen to me very often but I sure enjoyed the distinct pleasure to get some CLOT BUSTER @TeamStopTheClot polka-dots to a former Olympic Champion in KATIE.

How cool is that? 

Unfortunately blood clots can happen to ANYONE even to decorated athletes.  But it is not the end... in fact in can be the beginning of a journey that can make a difference in so many levels.

From the STOPTHECLOT.org website here is a brief write-up of Katie's experience and her journey to overcome.

"Katie is a three-time Olympic medalist and Former World Champion Swimmer who has held several American and world records throughout her career. She was forced to retire from the sport in 2015 due to the development of blood clots in her lung, known as pulmonary embolisms, or PEs.

Katie is best known for her individual medley (IM). She held the American record for the 200-meter IM and the world record for the 400-meter IM.

In July 2014, Katie experienced a sharp pain in her chest and sides, which forced her to withdraw from the National Championship. She initially had been diagnosed with a muscle strain and asthma when a CAT scan revealed two blood clots in her lung. Due to the buildup of scar tissue in her lung caused by the blood clots, Katie officially announced her retirement from swimming in 2015.

Now, Katie is focusing on her health and is encouraging others to do the same. Katie knows just how serious PE blood clots can be, driving her to share her story and raise awareness about the signs, symptoms, and treatment options available."

Katie got to ride with us during the month of march event and even made the Clot Buster @TeamStopTheClot polka-dots a feature in a post or two.  Totally feeling big time now!

We continue on with our efforts to spread awareness and educate about blood clots and blood clotting disorders. Learn and be aware!

Thank you for reading,

The Clot Buster