Breaking the Record
In his first race after recovering from ileostomy surgery, Collin Jarvis came in last. Though other runners competing in that NCAA (National Collegiate Athletic Association) race would have been disappointed, Collin burst into tears of joy.
“I realized that running competitively was possible again,” explains Collin. “And if I was able to do that type of thing, so could other people with ostomies. It instantly gave running more meaning for me.”
Collin was diagnosed with ulcerative colitis as a junior at the University of California, Berkeley. Drug treatment just wasn’t working. He lost 30 pounds, was sleeping 15 hours a day, and had to withdraw from his senior year. One day his condition got so bad that he headed to the emergency room where the doctor, fearing a perforated colon, recommended surgery.
Though Collin had the support of his college teammates, his mom and girlfriend, the first few months after surgery were psychologically difficult.
“I felt that running defined me as a person, and I was genuinely worried that I wouldn’t be able to do it again,” says Collin. “Then I told myself that it was best to focus on the elements in my life I could control, and I developed a game plan.”
He went home to San Diego to recover from surgery. Then, six months later after getting clearance to run again, he started jogging and doing light exercises to avoid a hernia. The next hurdle was getting back to school, but the university insisted that he take a full year off to make sure he was healthy.
Never one to rest, Collin decided to take himself out of his comfort zone and explore the limits of what he could do. He and a friend went backpacking in New Zealand for 33 days. Collin packed enough New Image two-piece pouching systems and Adapt barrier rings to get him through the adventure and off they went. After walking and hitchhiking 30 miles a day, he stayed in hostels overnight. Because of the close quarters, Collin was forced to talk to strangers about his ostomy.
“The more I talked about it, I noticed that they didn’t care,” Collin explains. “They were actually in awe of what I was doing.”
After his year off, Collin went back to Berkeley and, post-graduation in 2015, made the decision to become more involved with the ostomy community. He began by making an effort to run professionally and pursue sponsorships. His personal website and blog attracted the attention of two investors—one of whom had completed the Ironman Triathlon after having ostomy surgery. The three of them formed Hurdle Barriers LLC, a foundation whose mission is to help facilitate the transition to an active lifestyle after major medical events. When the opportunity came up to partner with Stealth Belt®, a company that makes custom ostomy support belts Collin uses while running, Collin and his partners jumped at the chance.
Collin became vice president of Stealth Belt and moved to Tennessee to assist the president of the company with daily operations and marketing. Collin’s work with the company has opened doors for him to speak publicly. He tells his story at local ostomy support groups (often through Skype), and was proud to present at the United Ostomy Associations of America (UOAA) National Conference in 2017, after coming in first in the Run for Resilience Ostomy 5K for two years in a row!
“Now I can combine my two passions—running and helping others,” says Collin. “I talk about my journey and explain what I’ve done to safely exercise and get stronger.”
Working full-time and volunteering has not stopped Collin from constantly training. A typical day for this 26-year-old is a run at 6:00 a.m., then another run after work, followed by a workout in the weight room, then straight to bed. What’s on his bucket list? Breaking the four minute mile—the Holy Grail of runners worldwide.
At the pace he’s going, success is definitely within reach.
Collin Jarvis is an active member of the ostomy community, presenting at the 2017 UOAA National Conference. He took first place in the Run for Resilience Ostomy 5K two years in a row. Collin lives in Tennessee where he works as vice president of Stealth Belt, and continues to run daily.
Financial Disclosure: Collin Jarvis received compensation from Hollister Incorporated for his contribution to this eNewsletter.
