From the heart

AMAA Journal, Spring-Summer, 2009 by Dave Watt

The last time AMAA/AMJA physicians had seen Alberto Salazar up close was in the Prudential Center garage off Ring Road just beyond the then-finish line for the Boston Marathon. It was 1982 and Salazar had just run what is now dubbed the "Duel in the Sun" marathon race between himself and Dick Beardsley. It was a warm day and Alberto was suffering from heat exhaustion. His body core temperature was spiking and heat stroke looked imminent. Before he was hooked up to an IV drip, an AMJA volunteer physician slipped off Alberto's wet race singlet and slid on his own dry tee, an AMJA t-shirt.

In June 2007, again, Alberto Salazar nearly died. He collapsed on the Nike Campus athletic fields at the start of a training session for his elite athletes. His heart had stopped and if not for the quick actions of those athletes to summon help, he would not have survived. Even Alberto credits good fortune that a recently returned military EMT was involved with a soccer or football clinic nearby and ran to his aid. An AED was brought out from an adjacent Nike Campus building.

Upon arrival at Providence Hospital in Portland, Oregon, Alberto met and was treated by cardiologist Todd Caulfield, MD. It turns out that Dr. Caulfield had ties to Alberto's hometown area in the Boston suburbs. He also had direct ties to AMAAs current President Charles L. Schulman, MD. Todd Caulfield treated and helped Alberto get on a path to living with his heart after the near-fatal cardiac event. A few months later, Charles received an e-mail from Todd about AMAA and running Boston.

It was no accident that we happened to bring both Alberto Salazar and Dr. Todd Caulfield together to present their tag team presentation at this year's AMAA Sports Medicine Symposium in Boston. Their presentation was informative and uplifting. It's not an everyday occurrence to have a patient, in this case a famous world class athlete and now-coach, listening to his cardiologist describe and show what he saw that morning in the ICU in Portland. It was equally compelling to hear Alberto Salazar describe the events leading up to his "cardiac event" on June 30, 2007, and his life now, post-cardiac event.

Today Salazar considers the heart attack or cardiac event the best thing that ever happened in my life." [Note: Dr. Caulfield is still unclear if his event was electrical or heart-muscle related]. Alberto truly believes it has changed his life. He is more jovial and outgoing. He travels with his athletes but also has a sports psychologist in-tow. The psychologist mentioned to me that Alberto's athletes asked him to help keep Alberto at ease on the stressful days they toe the line in a world-class race.

Salazar made the comment, "Every time I come to Boston, I'm surrounded by physicians." The AMAA Symposium attendees chuckled and nodded approval.

[ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]

Yes, Alberto had given thanks to a physician, namely Todd Caulfield. He also gave thanks to his faith in God, family, and the athletes who let him live another day, every day.

Enjoy the run.

Dave Watt, Executive Director