When Ontario’s Craig Thompson determined to donate a kidney to his mom, Cathie, he knew the stakes have been excessive. A aggressive runner who had raced internationally, Thompson was ready to surrender his sport for good if it meant saving his mom’s life. “If that meant I’d by no means run once more, I’d have nonetheless been her donor,” he instructed Canadian Operating. Thankfully, his operating journey didn’t finish there, and never solely was Thompson in a position to give his mom a second likelihood at life, however he additionally made an inspiring return to the monitor.
A household dedication
Cathie’s kidney perform had been declining for years, leaving her with two choices: dialysis or a transplant. Craig instantly volunteered to be examined as a donor, and was confirmed as a powerful match. Regardless of his mom’s preliminary refusal (her intuition as a guardian to guard her little one), Craig’s persistence received her over.
Whereas Craig was dedicated to donating his kidney whether or not he was in a position to run sooner or later or not, he couldn’t ignore the hope of returning to the game he beloved. To gasoline his restoration, he set an bold aim: to compete within the World Masters Athletics Championships in Sweden in August. “This meant I had 5 months to organize,” he mentioned.
A decided comeback
The journey again to operating started humbly—with sluggish walks down hospital hallways. “In March, I began understanding by strolling the hallways of the hospital,” he shares. Steadily, these walks changed into jogs, and by June, simply three months after his surgical procedure, Craig was again on the monitor. “This wouldn’t have been potential with out the unimaginable folks in my life,” Craig notes, crediting his spouse Jen, his coach, Paul Osland, and the trainers who guided him by his restoration.
Towards the chances, Thompson not solely competed, but in addition matched his occasions from two years beforehand, a feat he calls a private victory. “At my age, you normally get slower yearly, so I name {that a} win. Possibly I’m a bit quicker with out that second kidney weighing me down,” he jokes.
New views
Cathie, now thriving along with her son’s kidney performing at 90 per cent, is having fun with her renewed well being. “My associates usually ask me if I’m quicker, now that I’ve a runner’s kidney,” she says. “Sadly, I’ve not but skilled that transformation!”
Craig’s comeback serves as inspiration for any athlete making a protracted return from an harm or setback. He emphasizes the necessity to hearken to your physique and never rush the method. “If one thing doesn’t really feel proper, cease and dial it again, in any other case you would delay your restoration by months,” he explains. “There’s at all times one thing you are able to do. Should you can’t run or raise weights, perhaps you’ll be able to stroll or stretch.”
Craig provides that it’s additionally by no means too late to make a change if an harm prevents you from competing in your sport of selection. “Twenty years in the past, after I was a 270-pound defensive lineman, I by no means imagined I’d be operating 1,500m races in opposition to the quickest Masters athletes on this planet.” he says.
