Stories from the YMCA of Metropolitan Chicago

March 2008

 

Heidi's Story

 

Heidi’s mother never complained about waking up at 4:30 a.m. to get her daughter to those early morning swim practices on time. Her daughter, after all, was
a natural in the pool, finding comfort in the familiar water, the sounds, and the suportive friends at the Leaning Tower YMCA. It was her home away from home—and it still is, almost 40 years later.

Heidi learned to swim before she learned to walk. She
would dangle her legs over the side of the pool when she was just two and a half years old. Then, like so many of us, she learned to float, and slowly, she progressed through swim lessons, always following directions and focusing on the instructor’s voice. Today, it’s hard to imagine Heidi as a mere Pike or Polliwog. Through the years, this slight and seemingly fragile kid who didn’t get included in school sports because she wasn’t strong enough or good enough went from cautiously approaching the Y pool to diving off a ferry near Alcatraz Island. The water was 55 degrees, shore lay a mile and a half away, and darkness surrounded Heidi, not because it was night, but because she has been blind since birth…

She trusted Matt Miller, her athlete guide, and together they braved the strong currents to emerge at Marina Green Beach. While Heidi mentally prepared for the next leg of the Escape from Alcatraz Triathlon, Matt made preparations of his own. Heidi’s faith and determination that day inspired him to start the CDifferent Foundation, an organization that encourages the visually-impaired to lead healthy and active lives, hopes to educate the public, and change people’s perception of what can and can’t be accomplished.

Heidi’s tenacity focused Matt’s vision; one moment crystallized a life purpose; and it all began at the Y with one little girl and her parents, knowing she could accomplish so much more than what anyone ever gave her credit for.

We’re happy to share that Heidi continues to compete. She completed the Ironman Triathlon in Coeur d’Alene, Idaho. That’s a 2.4-mile swim, a 112-mile bike ride and a 26.2-mile run. Recently, she participated in the Hustle Up the Hancock, conquering 94 floors in a little more than 25 minutes, and later this Spring, Heidi will travel to Austria to run in the Vienna Half Marathon.

Heidi still trains at the Leaning Tower Y in Niles. It’s still her home away from home and a place she encourages others to join. She has helped visually-impaired youth understand that not being able to see their goals has nothing to do with not being able to achieve their goals.

She knows that the perfect place to belong…and the perfect place to become…is the Y.

 

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