At Athletes for Hope, we help athletes determine what cause aligns most with you they are and what they believe in. When Olympic race-walker Erin Gray came to us, she already knew where she wanted to spend her time.
At the age of 12, Erin had open-heart surgery to repair a misplaced pulmonary vein which was causing blood to flow into the wrong atrium. Experts stated she would die of heart failure by the age of 30 if it wasn’t fixed. Gray was frightened. “It taught me to appreciate my body, what it can do, and how everything that is normal in my life can be taken away.”
Erin knew she wanted to give back to children who were faced with similar situations and staying in the children’s hospital. Athletes for Hope was able to connect Erin to the very same hospital where she was treated years before, Doernbecher Children’s Hospital in Portland, Oregon where she has done multiple visits. Erin has also done work with her Boys and Girls Clubs to shape kids’ lives.
These days, Erin is still competing in events as well as fulfilling her dream to become a physician. She is in her 4th year of medical school at the College of Osteopathic Medicine of the Pacific – Northwest. We wish Erin the best and thank her for being part of the AFH community.