We want to introduce you to Maria Meier.  Maria is a wife, mother, neighbor, friend, runner, positive-thinker, and OOFOS fan with quite the story to tell.

Just a few years ago, Maria and her family moved up to New England from Atlanta.  While living in Atlanta, Maria started running on a consistent basis as a way to relax and exercise, particularly after giving birth to her two children, Carson and Emma. After relocating to New England for her husband’s career, Maria found it harder to stay motivated to run because of the weather.  She and her neighbor decided to start running together, and slowly formed a neighborhood running group. As a group, they ran some 5Ks together and then decided to run the Zooma Half Marathon on Cape Cod. Around this time is when Maria’s life changed forever.

In June of 2014, Maria became quite sick and was diagnosed with Septic Shock as a result of undiagnosed strep throat. She was put in the ICU, sedated, intubated, treated with many medications and put on dialysis.   She was put on presser medication to sustain her blood pressure, which it did, but unfortunately the medication also cut off the blood flow to her extremities, causing her feet to turn black (similar to frostbite).

Over the next few weeks in the hospital, Maria recovered from Septic Shock, but her feet remained an issue, and her vascular doctor told her that she would need to have a significant part of her feet amputated.  Maria and her husband, Myatt, decided that she needed a second opinion and she was referred to the Wound Clinic in Boston, where she spent several weeks in appointments trying to save as much of her feet as possible.  In late October 2014, Maria had her toes amputated.

Fast forward a few months to March 2015, Maria required another surgery because she had developed a MERSA infection. As time went on, she had one more surgery to straighten a remaining half-toe and to clean out remaining scar tissue, and when she finally came home, Maria weighed only 92lbs and had zero stamina.

Although faced with these unbelievable challenges, Maria said, “I feel through this whole process, we were blessed to be where we were. The nurses and doctors that took care of me were amazing, all of them, from the hospital, to the rehab to the in-home care I received. I couldn’t have been more blessed.”

This positive attitude is what continues to sustain Maria today. After her surgeries and physical therapy were over, Maria wanted to get back into running. Doctors told her she couldn’t run again, but she got a personal trainer (“the toughest one they had at the YMCA”) and worked hard for over a year to develop the strength she needed to get into the running clinic at Spaulding Rehabilitation Hospital in Boston. She says she would not be where she is today without the running clinic.

Now, Maria is back into running and says that her running experience has changed a lot after the medical journey that she has been on.

“I have learned the proper way to run and the importance of strength training and stretching.  There is more to running than just running. I am more aware of my body and how it is supposed to perform to help me run properly. I appreciate it more and I don’t take it for granted.”

She also says that her positive experience with OOFOS in helping her recover from her new normal is something that she also appreciates.  After being referred to OOFOS from a podiatrist in the Wound Center who told her “she would feel like she was walking on clouds”, Maria and her husband set out to find a pair and purchased a pair of OOCloogs. Once her feet began changing and the swelling started going down, she realized she would need a pair of OOahh slides and reached out to the OOFOS team for assistance in finding the right size. After speaking with Linda, our “resident fit expert,” Maria says she was moved to tears by OOFOS’ willingness to be a part of her recovery process. The OOFOS team was equally moved by Maria’s story and her relentless positivity, despite the challenges she faced.

How does our footwear make a difference in Maria’s life?

“I wear my slides all the time in the house.  They are more comfortable than any slipper I have ever owned.   I have also started wearing them out in public, because I am less self-conscious now about people noticing that I don’t have any toes.   I love the way the slides look with shorts and jeans.  I wear my clogs to work and with jeans on the weekend. What I have learned through this experience is walking barefoot, especially if you have issues with your feet, is not a good idea.   If you run a lot or walk a lot, your feet need a comfortable recovery type shoe and I have found that in the OOFOS brand.”

The entire OOFOS team found Maria and her positive outlook to be such an inspiration. With a lot of hard work, motivation and positive-thinking, Maria is ready to make her return to the competitive running scene this year—her first races post-illness.  She is planning on running the Miles for Migraine run in North Kingston on Mother’s Day, Margarita 5K in Atlanta on August 11, and she’ll finally be running the Zooma Half Marathon on September 28 this year.  

In addition to being able to run again, Maria says she feels back to being herself now that she is able to ice skate with her daughter and wear high heels again.

We can all learn something from Maria, her experience, recovery and general outlook on life.

When asked for her biggest piece of advice for anyone trying to overcome obstacles, Maria shared,  “Don’t accept no as an answer, you know your body best.   Never give up. Know what you want and figure out how to get there.  It isn’t easy, but no goal worth attaining ever is.   It has taken me over three years to get where I am today.   I worked at it and figured it out.”

Here at OOFOS, one of the pillars of our OOsoul is “Inspirational” and we truly can’t think of many other people who are quite as inspirational as Maria Meier.  She has overcome an unthinkable challenge and come out of the experience feeling blessed and ready to tackle her next challenges. 

We look forward to continuing to share Maria’s progress as she prepares for these races, so be sure to check back here over the next few months.