The unexpected athlete

A lifelong exercise-phobe who nearly flunked gym in high school, Anne Elise O’Connor (left) never dreamed she would compete in a triathlon at the age of 51. Even the diagnosis of myocarditis – a potentially fatal inflammation of the heart – at age 30 was not motivation enough for a healthy lifestyle change. For nearly 20 years she continued to avoid exercise until she became sick again. Surviving breast cancer at 48 was the wakeup call she needed. O’Connor knew it was time to change her habits and begin living healthily, but she didn’t know where to begin. Upon consulting with Diane Fingold, MD, of MGH Internal Medicine, she received the referral that helped change her life.

Fingold recommended that O’Connor sign up for the MGH Cardiac Metabolic Syndrome Program under the direction of Paul Huang, MD, PhD. This 12-week program – designed to reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease in patients who are overweight, have high blood pressure and/or cholesterol, and who may have diabetes – teaches participants to make healthy food choices, increase physical activity and reduce stress. Its goal is to inspire sustainable lifestyle changes that can be adopted easily.

Each week, O’Connor attended the three-hour program at the MGH. She learned about nutrition, exercise and thought processes and engaged in aerobic exercise and strength training under the guidance of cardiac rehabilitation nurses. Yoga, relaxation and guided meditation were the third component of the program. Almost immediately, O’Connor was hooked. “It was a combination of high-tech medicine, a supportive atmosphere and common sense,” she says. “It just clicked. For the first time, I started thinking about the health of my body in terms of the rest of my life.”

Says Huang, “We’ve been running the program for more than two years now, and it is extremely popular. Patients lose significant amounts of weight, lower their blood pressure and cholesterol levels and have better blood sugar control. Most importantly, they tell me how much better they feel.”

These days, O’Connor is continuing to challenge herself. She completed her first-ever triathlon July 29. She says, “It took me 50 years to understand that exercise doesn’t have to be horrible. I’m proud of what I’ve accomplished, and I couldn’t have done it without the help of all my caregivers at the MGH.”