SHE STARTED HER CAREER LIKE
MANY OF THE ATHLETES WE'VE
PROFILED: BIG DREAMS AND A
LOVE TO COMPETE.
SHE TOOK HER THREE-SPORT
CAREER TO COLLEGE AND DEMOCRAT
SAME.
NOW SHE'S HOPING THE SPIRIT
THAT CARRIED HER THEN CAN CARRY
HER THROUGH A BIGGER CHALLENGE.
IT'S ABOUT TRUSTING YOUR
INTUITION.
REPORTER: CARIE GREW UP IN
RICHMOND MINNESOTA, A HIGH
SCHOOL STAND OUT.
GREW UP IN RICHMOND,
MINNESOTA, TWO BROTHERS, AN
OLDER AND A YOUNGER AND ALL I
KNEW WAS SPORTS.
REPORTER: SHE EARNED A
SCHOLARSHIP TO ST. CLOUD STATE
WHERE SHE ENDED UP ON THREE
TEAMS.
I WAS ABLE TO GET A
SCHOLARSHIP TO ST. CLOUD STATE,
A VOLLEYBALL SCHOLARSHIP AND
THEN THE HOCKEY TEAM REACHED
OUT TO ME AND ASKED ME TO PLAY
HOCKEY.
AND THEN TRACK HAD ASKED ME TO
JOIN THE TEAM AS WELL.
REPORTER: THAT'S WHY IT WAS
SO STRANGE AFTER COLLEGE WHEN
SHE CONTINUED TO WORK OUT, BUT
SOMETHING WAS NOT RIGHT.
JUST ONE DAY I WAS OUT ON
KIND OF MY -- I USUALLY DO 45
TO 50-MILE RUNS, AND I COULDN'T
KEEP THE PACE I WANTED TO.
SO I THOUGHT I WAS SICK.
REPORTER: IT WENT
UNDIAGNOSED FOR TWO YEARS.
THEY WERE ABLE TO SEE THERE
WAS A LOT OF SCARRING GOING ON
IN THE LEFT VENT KILL OF MY
HEART THAT WAS CAUSING THE
ARIGHT MIAS.
REPORTER: SHE HAD STAGE TWO
HEART FAILURE, WHICH IS
SIGNIFICANT.
IT'S VERY LIMITED BLOOD
FLOW.
SO FOR YOU AND I WORKING OFF 80
TO 90%, SHE'S ROUGHLY 30% AT
THE MOST.
THE BLOOD FLOW SHE'S GET
SUGGEST FAR MORE LIMITED.
REPORTER: SHE KEPT TRYING TO
WORK OUT, BUT THE MENTAL TOLL
WAS BECOMING DEVASTATING.
I COULDN'T SLEEP.
I WAS DEPRESSED LIKE NO OTHER.
LITERALLY PANIC ATTACKS ALL THE
TIME.
IT TOOK ME A WHILE TO BE ABLE
TO FIND THAT PEACE OF MIND AND
I THINK TODAY I'VE COME TO THE
CONCLUSION, IF SOMETHING
HAPPENS, I'M GOING TO GO OUT
DOING SOMETHING I LOVE.
REPORTER: NOW SHE HAD TO
MAKE THE DECISION TO DO
SOMETHING WITH HER LIFE.
IT GROUNDED ME AND MADE ME
REALIZE THAT AT SOME POINT, WE
ARE GOING TO DIE, BUT IT WAS
JUST THE CONFIDENCE THAT YOU
SHOULDN'T HAVE ANXIETY ABOUT
THE UNKNOWN.
I DON'T KNOW WHAT'S GOING TO
HAPPEN.
WHAT IF I DON'T MAKE THE IRON
MAN THAT DAY AND MID ABOUT SAYS
NO?
REPORTER: SO SHE CONTINUED
THE BUCKET LIST.
ONE THAT INCLUDES PARTICIPATING
IN THE IRON MAN IN A COUPLE
MONTHS.
IT STARTED TO SHOW MY HEART
WAS GETTING WORSE AND SO -- BUT
I ASKED IF I COULD STILL DO THE
IRON MAN.
THIS IS SOMETHING FOR ME THAT
IS A GOAL THAT I WOULD LIKE THE
OPPORTUNITY TO TRY IT.
REPORTER: SO THEY TRAIN.
STARTING TO COME UP A BIT.
REPORTER: BRETT IS AN
EXERCISE FIZZIOLOGIST WORKING
WITH HER, TRAINING WITH HER AND
WILL PARTICIPATE WITH HER.
WE HAVE CONVERSATIONS ON
LIFE AND WHILE WE'RE ON THE
BIKE OR THE RUN.
LITTLE HARDER WHEN YOU SWIM TO
TALK, BUT WE TALK ABOUT THE
GOALS OF THE FUTURE.
REPORTER: THIS IS WHAT SHE
WANTS: TO TAKE AN UNCERTAIN
FUTURE HEAD ON BECAUSE SHE HAS
DECIDED THIS IS WHO SHE IS AND
LIVING LIFE IS ABOUT LIVING TO
WIN, NOT TO BE BOGGED DOWN IN
FEAR.
I THINK IT'S SOMEONE TRYING
TO TAKE BACK PART OF THEIR
LIFE.
A LOT OF PEOPLE DO THAT THROUGH
DIFFERENT MEANS.
I THINK FOR HER, AFTER BEING
DIAGNOSED WITH WHAT SHE HAS AND
GOING THROUGH A MILD
DEPRESSION, I THINK IT'S A WAY
FOR HER TO BRING -- TAKE BACK
SOME OF THAT.
REPORTER: BECAUSE THIS IS
ABOUT CONQUERING SELF.
JUST LIKE WHEN SHE STARTED TO
PARTICIPATE IN HIGH SCHOOL AND
SENDING A MESSAGE TO OTHERS, TO
HERSELF.
WE HAVE TO LIVE EACH DAY TO
THE FULLEST AND JUST APPRECIATE
IT.
IF SOMETHING HAPPENS, IT WAS
SUPPOSED TO HAPPEN.
SO I WANT TO BE ABLE TO CHASE
THE THINGS I WANT TO.
♪ [ MUSIC ] ♪