'It's part of me, it's not me': North Oconee senior doesn't let POTS diagnosis define her
At age 12, North Oconee senior Sophia Bustamante Galizzi was given a life changing diagnosis.
She had postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome, commonly referred to as POTS. Because POTS is a neurological disorder that affects blood flow and the autonomic nervous system, which controls involuntary functions like breathing, she was told for a while that she wouldn't be able to play soccer again.
POTS is triggered when sitting up or standing up, especially for long periods of time. So, the excruciating Georgia heat, mixed with the increased risk of things like fainting, heart palpitations, fluctuating blood pressure, headaches and more, it didn't seem likely to her doctors that an athletic career was sustainable. One of the most common symptoms is the inability to exercise.
But Bustamante Galizzi wasn't going to stand for that answer. Soccer was her life, is her life, and she wasn't going to let this diagnosis define or destroy her hopes and dreams just like that.
"It really hurt me (to hear), because (sports are) part of my life," she said. "I used to run cross country and track, so that was like a big thing I had to stop, because you can't really do cardio, but I was able to prove them wrong, kind of, and I changed pretty much my entire lifestyle to be able to adapt to it. It's hard, ... but I don't let a disadvantage like that really stop me. I just had the willingness and the drive. My love for sports (kept me determined)."
She's tough. With dietary changes, like increasing sodium in her diet and lessening her intake of fatty foods, sleeping with elevated feet and wearing compression socks, and carrying extra water on humid or muggy days, she's been able to manage pretty well.
She will graduate next week from North Oconee after playing four years on varsity, winning a state title and taking three trips to the championship game.
"Don't let a label define you," she said. "It doesn't mean you're worse than anyone else just because you have a disadvantage. It's not a disability, but I treat it the same way of like, this is just who I am, it's part of me, but it's not me."
She wouldn't have been able to do it without the support of her teammates and coaches. During the 2024 championship game, in the first half, Bustamante Galizzi and an opponent from Lovett leapt for the ball and bashed head-to-head in a collision. For someone with POTS, trauma to the head can drastically increase symptoms.
Luckily, she was OK. She came out for roughly two minutes to be checked by the athletic trainer, dumping water all over herself to cool down, and then went right back in the game, playing 78 of the 80 regulation minutes. She said the team keeps pickles and pretzels in the cooler for her, for games that are extra hot like that one was — just in case she needs quick rejuvenation.
"My teammates know, if I'm starting to wobble a little bit, they know something's up," she said. "But they're always super supportive and they know that like, during fitness, I have to train 10 times harder than other people so that I can withstand. It's just extra work basically. ... I've learned to push through it and to be able to play 120 minutes instead of 90 so that the 90 is easier."
Coach Ben Grassmyer said he remembers finding out about her condition. It was her freshman year, they'd brought her up to varsity right after spring break and during the first practice, she'd gone down like a sack of potatoes during conditioning. He remembers the other girls on the team screaming to get his attention.
"We run over there, we were freaking out and she's laying there and she's like, 'Lift my legs, lift my legs,' to get the blood to her head," Grassmyer said. "So, we lift her legs, and she goes, 'It's OK, it happens all the time. Just keep lifting my legs.' It was a shock, (to say the least)."
There are no definite plans yet for Bustamante Galizzi's future. She has ideas, and hopes, but the big thing right now is to enjoy the last few moments of high school with her friends.
This article originally appeared on Athens Banner-Herald: Sophia Bustamante Galizzi on being an athlete living with POTS