TRENDING FIGURE SKATING | ALPINE SKIING | SIMONE BILES
Amy Purdy
Getty Images

Amy Purdy, Paralympic snowboarder, hospitalized for week

By Nick ZaccardiNov 1, 2016, 9:05 AM EDT
Leave a comment

Paralympic bronze medalist snowboarder Amy Purdy was released from a hospital after a week-long stay due to a serious muscle condition that can severely damage kidneys, according to her social media.

Purdy, a previous kidney transplant recipient from her father, was diagnosed with Rhabdomyolysis after noticing swelling in her arm following a preseason workout of pull-ups.

“Having a friend in the hospital with this condition last year, I rushed to the ER where they confirmed I had it too,” Purdy wrote. “I almost didn’t come to the hospital when I did because my symptoms were so mild, had I of decided to sleep it off l most likely would have had major kidney failure or even gone into shock by the next morning.”

Purdy wrote on Monday that she had been released from the hospital and would focus on healing.

“The recovery on this is supposed to take some time since the muscle fibers in both upper arms were damaged,” she wrote. “But all of this is minor compared to what it could have been!”

Purdy, 36, survived bacterial meningitis in 1999 but lost both her legs and later needed a kidney from her father at age 20.

Purdy is an innovator. She built her own snowboard and is seen as instrumental in getting her sport into the Paralympic program beginning in 2014.

A model, she has been in a Madonna music video, a Super Bowl commercial, ESPN the Magazine’s Body Issue and competed on “The Amazing Race” in 2012.

VIDEO: NBC Sports profile of Amy Purdy before Rio 2016

View this post on Instagram

Hey Friends! I'd like to fill you in on the last few days of my life. I am going on day 4 in the hospital after developing a very serious condition called Rhabdomyolysis. You should google it and read about it, its crazy. It basically can occur when you overwork a muscle group and the muscle begins to breakdown into your blood stream. It can severely damage kidneys pretty quickly and as most of you know I have a kidney transplant which was a big concern. I have been training as I prepare for the snowboard season and 1 day last week I pushed myself too hard. It seemed to happen so innocently, I did a series of Pull-ups and simply pushed too hard to complete the set. My muscles were a bit sore for a day, nothing bad but then I noticed a bit of swelling in my arm and having a friend in the hospital with this condition last year, I rushed to the ER where they confirmed I had it too. It's been a very intense week hooked up to machines supporting my kidney through this process. It's so crazy to be so healthy and to think you are doing good for your body, then to suddenly have a life threatening condition occur. As scary and serious as this has been, I have been very blessed that my Kidney has stayed strong. I'm also lucky I came in when I did, had I of waited a few more hours before going to the ER my situation could have easily been critical. That being said, my numbers are moving in the right direction, it's just going to take some time to recover. I wanted to share this with all of you because for 1, I believe social media should give insight into our lives, and life doesn't always have a pretty filter. Also, I want to inform you about this disorder that can happen to anyone. You have to listen to your body.. when it is telling you to stop.. Stop! My Dr said "we all have a breaking point, and you found yours " . I will share regular updates through my recovery. Thanks for the love and support friends. :)❤️️🙏✨

A post shared by Amy Purdy (@amypurdygurl) on

View this post on Instagram

Thank you for all your prayers and kind messages! I didn't think I could be more grateful to be alive then I already was but here I am beyond grateful for my life and health. I almost didn't come to the hospital when I did because my symptoms were so mild, had I of decided to sleep it off l most likely would have had major kidney failure or even gone into shock by the next morning. Intuition, knowing my body and knowledge about this condition saved my kidney and my life. The scary part about Rhabdo is there isn't anything the Dr's can do to stop it once it begins and they don't know how bad it will get. They can only support your body with constant IV fluids to try to buffer the effects, but your muscles continue to swell and breakdown and your kidneys are still forced to filter the massive amount of toxins. Luckily my kidney has held up like a champ! Thanks Dad! And my numbers have dropped significantly today which is a good thing. This condition is so scary, please pay attention to your body. If you have overworked your muscles, if you are sore and you can see some swelling even the slightest amount like I had, don't hesitate to go to the ER, it can save your life. I'm so grateful for my husband @dang_ale who's been by my side, cooking meals at home and bringing them to me each day, for my family and all of your love and support! ❤️️🙏✨🙏✨🙏✨🙏✨🙏

A post shared by Amy Purdy (@amypurdygurl) on

View this post on Instagram

This arm has about had it! And it's been stuck about 10 more times since this photo was taken. 💉A complication I've had while in here is my veins not wanting to give blood. Both IV's refuse to give so they have had to stick this pore arm of mine morning and night and sometimes multiple times before they get a vein. But I'm going to be honest…. I have been through worse in my life!!! So this… I don't like, I dread actually but I can handle. By the way the necklace I am wearing is a roman coin representing "Courage" I just so happened to be wearing it when I entered. It's funny how a symbol like this can remind you of what you're made of. It's easy to get caught up in the pain and fear of a situation, but if you remove yourself for a moment and step back you realize …. WAIT A SECOND! I AM MADE OF MUCH MORE THEN THIS! PUT YOUR BIG GIRL PANTIES ON AND HANDLE IT!!!!!Thank you @traceenicholsjewelry for reminding me what I'm made of! #tnjroman #courage ✨✨✨

A post shared by Amy Purdy (@amypurdygurl) on

View this post on Instagram

Look who is out of the hospital! The Dr's and nurses were amazing but I couldn't be happier to get the IV's out and head home! What a crazy experience all this has been. I was so strong up until last Saturday, now I can barely move my arms without fatigue. Last week was supposed to be the first week of on snow training leading into the 2018 Olympic/Paralympic Games, so while my teammates and competitors are neck deep in training, I'm going to be neck deep in healing. The recovery on this is supposed to take some time since the muscle fibers in both upper arms were damaged. But all of this is minor compared to what it could have been! My journey to the next Games may have taken a bit of a step back but sometimes that's what you need for a major comeback! I'm anxious to move on to this recovery stage and also rethink my approach to fitness, health and wellness. There is no need to injure ourselves getting stronger, I'm determined to being healthier then ever but by taking a more gentle path and to be honest, I hated pull-ups anyways! . Thank you to everyone for your ❤️ and support and thank you to @coppermtn for these gorgeous flowers! 🌺 #headedhome #rhabdosucks #gratitude #roadtorecovery ✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨

A post shared by Amy Purdy (@amypurdygurl) on

Mondo Duplantis, Sandi Morris miss attempts at pole vault records

Mondo Duplantis
Getty Images
By Beau DureFeb 19, 2020, 4:06 PM EST
Leave a comment

More: Olympics

Susan Dunklee Susan Dunklee extends decade of surprises for U.S. biathletes Too early to say whether virus threatens Olympics, WHO says For Mike Eruzione, Al Michaels, it’s no miracle that 1980 Olympics endure

Sweden’s Mondo Duplantis and U.S. athlete Sandi Morris took turns attempting world records in the pole vault Wednesday at the Meeting d’Athlétsime Hauts-de-France Pas-de-Calais meet at Arena Stade Regional in Liévin, France, but both were unable to clear the bar.

Duplantis, aiming to set the world record for third time in February, had no misses leading up to his record attempts. U.S. vaulter Sam Kendricks, who has won the last two world championships, cleared 5.90m but dropped out after one attempt at 5.95m. Duplantis passed on that height, then cleared 6.07m to warm up for his shot at 6.19m, just shy of 20 feet, 3 3/4 inches.

Morris’ attempt to tie Jennifer Suhr‘s world indoor record of 5.03m from 2016 was more of a surprise. Morris holds the U.S. outdoor record at 5.00m but had never done better than 4.95m indoors. She won Wednesday’s competition with a clearance of 4.83m and asked to go immediately to 5.03m, or 16 feet, 6 inches.

Yelena Isinbayeva still holds the outdoor record of 5.06m, set in 2009. Morris is second on the all-time list and is the only athlete other than Isinbayeva or Suhr to clear 5 meters either indoors or outdoors.

In the men’s pole vault, Duplantis’ clearance of 6.18m Feb. 15 in Glasgow is the best vault indoors or outdoors.  Sergey Bubka still has the highest clearance outdoors at 6.14m. Bubka also held the indoor record of 6.15m for more than 20 years, finally losing it to Renaud Lavillenie in 2014. Duplantis cleared 6.17m Feb. 9 in Poland, then added another centimeter last week in Glasgow.

READ: Duplantis raises record in Glasgow

Duplantis, Lavillenie and Bubka are the only vaulters to clear 20 feet. Kendricks cleared 6.06m, or 19-10 1/2, last summer, the highest outdoor clearance by anyone other than Bubka.

Duplantis grew up in Louisiana and attended LSU for one year, setting the NCAA indoor (5.92m) and outdoor (6.00m) before turning pro, though he was upset in the NCAA final by South Dakota junior Chris Nilsen.

Also at Wednesday’s meet:

Ronnie Baker ran 6.49 seconds in the 60m semifinals and lowered that to 6.44 in the final, second only to Christian Coleman this season. Demek Kemp finished second and tied his personal best of 6.50.

Nia Ali and Christina Clemons finished 1-2 in the women’s 60m hurdles with identical times of 7.92. Ali is the reigning world champion and Olympic silver medalist in the 100m hurdles. She also won world indoor titles in 2014 and 2016.

Two Ethiopian runners set the fastest times of the season — Samuel Tefera in the 1,500m (3:35.54) and Getnet Wale in the 3,000m (7:32.80). Wale was fourth in the 3,000m steeplechase in the 2019 world championships.

Pascal Martinot-Lagarde, racing in his home country of France, won the 60m hurdles in 7.47, second this season to Grant Holloway‘s 7.38 last week.

The World Athletics Indoor Tour ends Friday in Madrid. The world indoor championships originally scheduled for March in Nanjing, China, have been postponed a year due to the coronavirus outbreak.

OlympicTalk is on Apple News. Favorite us!

Susan Dunklee extends decade of surprises for U.S. biathletes

Susan Dunklee
Getty Images
By Beau DureFeb 19, 2020, 10:56 AM EST
Leave a comment

More: Olympics

Mondo Duplantis Mondo Duplantis, Sandi Morris miss attempts at pole vault records Too early to say whether virus threatens Olympics, WHO says For Mike Eruzione, Al Michaels, it’s no miracle that 1980 Olympics endure

When Susan Dunklee‘s time held up for second place in Friday’s 7.5km sprint, she became the first U.S. biathlete to win two world championship medals in her career and earned the sixth medal for the U.S. in world biathlon championship history.

Four of those medals have come in the past eight years.

First was Tim Burke, who had gained some fame among biathlon fans with his three World Cup podiums in the 2009-10 season and his relationship with German biathlete Andrea Henkel, who would win two Olympic gold medals and eight world championships before retiring and marrying Burke.

In that season, Burke led the World Cup briefly but faded and didn’t do well in the Olympics. But in 2012-13, he finished 10th in the World Cup overall and ended the American drought in the world championships, finishing second in the individual behind dominant French biathlete Martin Fourcade, who won his 11th non-relay world title Wednesday in the individual.

In 2017, Dunklee became the first U.S. woman to win a non-relay medal, taking the lead in the mass start after quickly knocking down all five targets in the last shooting and holding on for second. She didn’t come out of nowhere, having taken a few World Cup medals. That season, she ranked 10th overall in the World Cup.

Then came the stunner. Lowell Bailey, who had just one World Cup podium in a long career coming into the 2016-17 season, had bib 100 in the individual, a spot usually reserved for non-contenders. But he hit all 20 targets, always important in a race that penalizes athletes one minute per miss, and gutted it out through the last lap to keep a 3.3-second advantage and win the first world championship for a U.S. biathlete.

Like Dunklee, Bailey earned his medal in the midst of a strong season. The individual was won of his four top-10 finishes in the world championships, including a fourth-place finish in the sprint. He wound up eighth overall in the World Cup.

Bailey and Burke each stuck it out to compete in their fourth Olympics in 2018, then crossed the finish line together in their final race at the U.S. championships.

This season is their first in management. Bailey, also a bluegrass musician, is now U.S. Biathlon’s director of high performance. Burke is director of athlete development.

Dunklee, on the other hand, isn’t done. Her results slipped a bit after her 2017 breakthrough, but she has had some top 10s. When she shoots clean, as she did Friday, she’s a contender.

The first U.S. medal was in the first women’s world championship in 1984, when Holly Beatie, Julie Newman and Kari Swenson bronze in 3x5km relay. Swenson also finished fifth in the individual that year and returned to compete in the next two world championships after a harrowing experience in which she was abducted and shot, a story that inspired a film starring Tracy Pollan.

The only other U.S. medal in the world championships before Burke, Bailey and Dunklee was Josh Thompson‘s individual silver in 1987. The only athletes other than Burke, Bailey, Dunklee and Thompson to have World Cup podiums (excluding relays) are Jeremy Teela in 2009 and Clare Egan, who was third in a mass start last spring and is competing in the world championships this year.

U.S. Paralympians broke through with two gold medals on the first day of competition in the 2018 Paralympics.

READ: Kendall Gretsch, Dan Cnossen take gold

Wednesday saw another surprise finish for a U.S. biathlete. Leif Nordgren, whose career-best finish outside the relays is 16th, was the only athlete to go 20-for-20 on the shooting range and placed eighth in the individual.

The championships continue through through Sunday with the single mixed relay on Thursday, the men’s and women’s relays on Saturday, and the men’s and women’s mass starts on Sunday.

WATCH: World biathlon championships TV schedule

OlympicTalk is on Apple News. Favorite us!