Liv: How do you balance managing your health conditions with the intense demands of training and competing at a world-class elite level?
Allysa: As many may or may not know, I live with a life-threatening, complex chronic illness. This makes every day a challenge especially when you are the only person (we are aware of) chasing elite athletic dreams under such circumstances. At times I fall into the trap many of us do comparing ourselves to others, wondering why I never have any free time, how I am always so behind and can never seem to catch my breath. It is because of the illness. I have multiple appointments a week, most 90 minutes each way from my home, I have 4-6 hours of active medical care a day that I provide myself and another 8- 10 hours of care where I have to be hooked up to machines and pumps that limit my ability to train. Hospitalizations, surgeries, and procedures are all common occurrences that have to be worked around. On top of all of that is trying to manage the large team of medical and sport providers, and keep everyone on the same page while trying to all work together toward a common goal with competing priorities from each party. On the best days, it is a symphony of chaos on the worst it can be paralyzingly overwhelming. It has required everything one could imagine to keep moving as an elite athlete, some of the most important are structure, an arguably stupidly high level of stubbornness, and being unwilling to quit on myself ever.
Liv: What does a typical day look like for you in the weeks leading up to a major competition like the Paralympics?
Allysa: If I am being honest, it's chaos. For the Paralympics I am traveling for just over one month. I have one particular medication that is only good for nine days and must be kept at 41 degrees F. As you can imagine I cannot fly back and forth from Europe every nine days to get this prescription, so I have to organize my team: medical providers, pharmacy, sports team and people willing to offer a hand to make sure I can get what I need, when and where I need it. And usually beg huge systems along the way to allow for me to chase this wild dream. There is a significant amount of planning that goes into the weeks before events (for months or years ahead of time), a significant amount of organization, packing, checks and follow-ups - so that everyone is on the same page. Oh yeah, and I train and do all of my normal care, equipment maintenance and management. This cannot all be done without sacrifice, the sacrifice is usually sleep and temporarily my sanity. Will it all be worth it... ABSOLUTELY.
Liv: What are your goals beyond the Paris 2024 Paralympics, both in your athletic career and personal life?
Allysa: First, world champs and then vacation! The opportunity at a home games is going to be very hard to turn down. Will there be more to chase?... I guess we will have to see. In my personal life, I want to find a little bit more balance, I want to spend more time with loved ones, rekindle a lost relationship, and grow into my family. I want to learn more, maybe add to my formal education all with the long-term goal of making sports safer for women and those with disabilities, continuing to fight for fair equitable practices for athletes, and more.
Liv: Beyond your sport, what else are you passionate about?
Allysa: I have become very passionate and outspoken about sport governance over the years, taking on many roles to grow this sport. I am passionate about learning, leadership, politics, my dogs, and advocacy work.
Liv: What message do you hope people take away from your story?
Allysa: We hold our own pens - go and write a great adventure into your story. Fill it with challenges, dreams, sacrifice, and joy, sprinkle in heartache and loss because one can never truly know success and love without them. Be the brilliant author of your life story!
