When you’re in pain, it can be harder to find joy in life. In this episode, we meet Paula Golladay, a double amputee who is a competitive runner and part of a supportive community. Her superpower: She uses humor as a way to appreciate life: “I can walk on hot coals, you can't,” says Paula, laughing. “I can walk on glass, you can't. My socks never ever, ever smell. I can wear one pair of socks for an entire year.”
Some highlights in this episode:
1:28: Paula got into athletics in mid-life
2:06: Becoming a double amputee, Paula shifted from cycling to running
2:17: Paula turned to running on a whim
3:35: Paula competed in 68 virtual races during the pandemic
3:50: Paula finally got her runner’s blades
4:06: Running is liberating for Paula
5:39: Paula describes what she does when she feels pain and working through discomfort
6:13: “If we are in pain, something is not right and we need to stop or modify what we are doing, because that's contributing to the pain,” says Kathleen
7:09: Paula gets motivation from her running training group
8:15: Have an inner script and a routine to encourage yourself to exercise
9:16: Paula’s advice to people struggling to find new passion in life
9:55: Paula finds the right balance of having quiet time and being around people
10:52: Paula is a “proud amputee”
11:23: Paula finds humor in describing the benefits of being a double amputee
11:47: Paula’s advice: Believe in yourself and find joy in your life
Contact Our Host
Dr. Laurie Ferguson, Director of Education at the Global Healthy Living Foundation: lferguson@ghlf.org
We want to hear what you think. Send your comments, or a video or audio clip of yourself, to ThrivingWhileAching@ghlf.org
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