14 DAY TRIAL // Jogger Laura Cattivera suffers from a rare neurological condition called focal dystonia, which causes her involuntary muscular spasms and abnormal postures if she runs normally. So, the keen athlete has found an ingenious way to continue enjoying sports – running backwards.
“I always had a passion for running and nothing could stop me. Not even a rare neurological disease. I have always been a runner,” the 46-year-old California woman said.
Laura first noticed the symptoms when she kept bumping into the barriers during training for the 1992 Olympic trials. At the event, she finished second to last due to the fact that her left leg wasn't moving correctly.
As the disease progressed, her leg began to move involuntarily and spasmodically to one side, which prevented her from running in a straight line. She tried several treatments and experimented with different new ways of running, initially moving in a zigzag pattern, but running backwards proved the most efficient.
According to Daily Mail, athletes and musicians are prone to developing the disease as a result of overusing muscles when carrying out a specific movement. It is thought the muscle condition is triggered by a defective gene or by certain medications.
The athlete now plans to organize a backwards running race in Manhattan Beach in a bid to raise awareness of focal dystonia.