Issue link: https://tmcpulse.uberflip.com/i/759603
t m c » p u l s e | d e c e m b e r 2 0 1 6 14 bike during a training session for her seventh IRONMAN. Her injuries were so extensive that her physicians later said she had less than a one percent chance of survival. Blankenship was transferred by Memorial Hermann Life Flight to the Memorial Hermann Red Duke Trauma Institute where, thanks to swift work on the part of the trauma team, she survived. After eight months of surgeries, she was finally in a place where she could see a future—and it involved running. Her lower left leg, however, posed a problem. It had been hit with such force during the accident that mud was embedded in the marrow, trig- gering persistent infections and the subsequent cutting away of more and more bone. There was no guarantee she would ever recover full function and, after weeks of deliberating, she ultimately made the difficult decision to amputate. Nils Fowler, a CATAPULT guide, was one of Blankenship's primary nurses during part of her recovery. After hearing of her amputation, he immediately connected her with Barr, who, along with several other mem- bers of the team, paid Blankenship a visit. They spent hours in her hospital room, answering question after ques- tion, and when the group finally left, Blankenship's new dream had solidi- fied: Tokyo 2020 Paralympics. Race day One of CATAPULT's hopes is that through their organization, events like the Houston Marathon will cater increasingly to athletes with physical challenges. "On race day, there's going to be nearly 30,000 people," said Fowler, who is blind in his right eye and has a keen understanding of some of the challenges CATAPULT runners face. "Last year, it was very chaotic. We try to have one person in front, one behind, and then a guide, and still people with headphones try to run through the teth- ers. At the end of the day, though, if the athlete can't get to the finish line, then you didn't do your job." CATAPULT wants to showcase Houston as an accessible city for dis- abled athletes. "Jarrett and I have been in the triath- lon and running community for so long, and we personally know a lot of these race directors and they're all willing to work with us," McClendon said. Fifteen CATAPULT runners have signed up to race the marathon or half marathon on Jan. 15. Their goals are the same as any runner's: to cross that finish line and be handed a medal, to share with the other exhausted athletes an overwhelming sense of pride and accomplishment. "I know our athletes will say it's a privilege for them to run with us, but it's the other way around," Fowler said. "It's a privilege that they allow us to run with them." w w w.tmc .edu/news Advertise in a special sports edition of Pulse In anticipation of Super Bowl LI, which Houston will host, the Jan.-Feb. 2017 issue of Pulse will be devoted to sports. This special issue of Pulse, available in racks around the Texas Medical Center starting Feb. 1, will have bonus distribution leading up to the Super Bowl. To advertise in Pulse's sports issue, call 713.791.8894 or email newsads@tmc.edu. The deadline for space reservations is Jan. 2, 2017. CATAPULT athlete Alex Hordge with his guide during a training session in Memorial Park.