RENO. Nev. (KRNV & MyNews4.com) -- Katie Lyons was 15 years old and at the peak of her ski racing performance when she learned she had scoliosis.
Beyond natural concerns about surgery, she needed to preserve her spine's range of motion because she was a competitive downhill ski racer and wanted to remain one. She had recently been named #1 in her age group and was poised to assume a role on the U.S. Ski Team. But her scoliosis was so severe that it would eventually begin to put pressure on her lungs and her heart and would begin to cause a visible deformity.
Because of high-quality orthopedic care, Katie went on to ski competitively, and received multiple scholarship offers to college. She chose the University of Nevada, where she was an All-American, All-Academic skier and competed in the World University Games in 2007. Today, she is in medical school, with a post-grad scholarship from the NCAA and hopes to be able to go into orthopedics to help other people with bone and joint problems like she experienced.
The American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons (AAOS) started a new campaign called A Nation in Motion that allows Americans to share their personal stories-stories about their lives being saved, about people returning to work, caring for family members, restoring mobility and to leading the lives they love. Hundreds of stories have already been shared, including that of Katie Lyons.
