Meet Karen
By
February 11, 2016
Karen leads our Mobility Clinics and will be co-coaching with Dustin and Tracie in the coming weeks. Say "hi" when you see her...but she will probably beat you to it. We thought you'd like to know a little more about this person that has brought a whole new focus on mobility to Catacombs. In her words:
I was born and raised in Alaska, where I developed a love for the mountains and everything outdoors. I swam in high school and college, and discovered that I loved emergency medicine following a summer working as a lifeguard at Lake Tahoe. I completed paramedic school in Nevada and started working as a wildland firefighter.
In October of 2008, I was driving to work on a single-lane highway in Northern California. Approximately 12 miles out from the ambulance station where I worked, I came around a corner and was face-to-face with a pickup truck. It had crossed a double yellow line into my lane in an attempt to pass a big rig. There was nowhere to go. The speed of my car was 55 mph; the oncoming F-250 was going an estimated 65-70 mph. My car was struck head-on. The rescue crew spent an hour and a half cutting the car away and removing me from the wreckage.
I have no memories of the impact, the extrication, helicopter flight, or first three weeks in
the ICU. I received three pints of donated blood, and my legs and hip were repaired with orthopedic parts. I underwent an additional surgery a few days later to repair my arms. The total number of fractures was estimated at 75. I was a re-built version of myself when I woke up; immobilized, in a hospital bed for 3 months. Another year of being wheelchair bound, learning to walk with crutches, painful physical therapy, and more surgery. After all this, I was “normal”. But it was 3 more years before I felt comfortable with the new version of me.
The recovery process is a long, arduous one. It was during my recovery that I found CrossFit and learned everything I could about functional fitness and mobility. I obtained my CrossFit Level 1, CrossFit Mobility, and CrossFit Endurance certifications. During this time, I came to realize that my purpose here is to help and encourage others struggling with their own issues. Recovery from injury is possible--even becoming stronger than you ever thought you would be. Honestly, believing you can do it is 99% of the work, and having someone willing to show you and work alongside you is the other 1%.
As you might have guessed, mobility is my passion. It was my path back to a normal life and I believe it can make everyone's life better. I am always happy to be a resource if I can help you with a mobility question. As a coach, my love is helping athletes improve their movement. Whether improving a technical lift or your position in a squat, expect me to be there with a cue or tweak to make it just a little better.
Thank you to everyone in the Catacombs community for welcoming Andy and me to your tribe. I look forward to working with all of you and learning from you as we build friendships and camaraderie through training together.
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