It might be fair to say that Emma Stiles doesn’t have an off switch.
From 10 years of competitive gymnastics to collegiate diving and now competing in triathlons, the 27-year-old Kansas native has always been incredibly active. But her athletic career has had some breaks along the way – literally.
Emma’s gymnastics career ended in high school after a spinal stress fracture. The injury led to her switch to diving, since it utilized many of the same skills. She went on to be a Division I diver at the University of Massachusetts. But after college, she came to the realization that diving wouldn’t be a sport she could do for the rest of her life, and she wanted to continue being active.
“My best friend had done a triathlon, so I thought it would be fun to give that a try,” Emma says.
The fact that she hadn’t swum, biked or run long distances competitively didn’t stop her. Her dad is a cyclist, so she used his expertise to get started biking. Her husband was a collegiate swimmer, so he gave some advice to Emma on that portion.
“I had someone in each area to give me tips and pointers on how to slowly build myself up,” Emma says. “But it was really tough because all my sports were quick bursts of energy. I had to ease into it, and I don’t like to ease into things. I like to just go full force.”
That might be why after a training session in June 2022, Emma found she couldn’t put any weight on 1 leg. As a physical therapist, Emma diagnosed herself with a strained muscle or a torn labrum, at worst.
“So I kept training, “she says. “I brushed it off. I told myself: Everybody does things with a torn labrum.”
Emma ran her triathlon in July 2022 and then transitioned to training for a 10K in September. A few weeks before the race she finally visited a doctor at the health system’s Indian Creek location in Overland Park. The real problem was finally identified – a stress fracture in her leg. Emma was put on immediate, total rest just 3 days before she was scheduled to run her 10K.
Then her experience as a PT kicked in again. As a student, she had worked with Dana Young, PT, DPT, at the health system. On Young’s recommendation, she scheduled an appointment with a sports medicine specialist and was referred to Lisa Vopat, MD, who leads the health system's Female Athlete Program.
According to Dr. Vopat, the Female Athlete Program is care provided by a multidisciplinary team. There are doctors, nurses and physical therapists who provide medical care as well as a sports dietitian and a sports psychologist to round out the holistic care offered through the program.
