The Human Body Is
A Miracle. The Human Body Is A Curse.
She is only 14 years old, but Amaris Tyynismaa's coaches believe she has the talent to be an NCAA champion, maybe even an Olympian. They say this cautiously, fully aware that such talk about a runner so young is risky. Ankles and shins break down, motivation fades, the body transforms. These are the challenges that confront every racer who shows early promise. Amaris, though, has others to contend with.
The day before the race in Charlotte, her father, Mike, an Air Force pilot, picked her up as if she were a little girl and carried her up 17 flights of stairs because she was too terrified to get inside the elevator at their hotel. All closed spaces paralyze her with anxiety and fear: her face goes flush, her heart races, her whole body becomes hot. The first time she encountered the hotel elevator, she took the stairs and wore herself out. The second time, her father wouldn’t let her exhaust herself before the race. As he climbed, he held her close while she cracked jokes and tried to get her heart to slow down.
A couple months later, Amaris’ mother, Kristen, explained how someone so unnaturally talented could also be so fragile. Kristen has had plenty of reason to think about the struggle between Amaris’ body and brain. “When she runs,” Kristen says, “I think she’s running from disorder.”
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Maciek Jasik