She appeared to be a healthy athlete, but nobody had checked her heart

By American Heart Association News

Sarah Jane Stallings with her husband, Bo. (Photo courtesy of Stephanie Parsley)
Sarah Jane Stallings with her husband, Bo. (Photo courtesy of Stephanie Parsley)

One of the first things Sarah Jane Stallings did when she and her husband, Bo, took over the CrossFit gym in her hometown of Russellville, Arkansas, earlier this year was to start a Fit over Fifty program.

Sarah Jane, who goes by SJ, is young and strong, but she can relate to what it feels like to exercise when age is not on one's side.

"Even though I'm only 24, my heart functions like a 60- or 70-year-old woman," said SJ, a fact she will share to help motivate people.

Bo uses his wife's determination to encourage others, too. When people complain they can't do something, he gives them the talk.

"Oh yeah you can. Don't let anything limit you. My wife is doing it with a machine in her," he tells them.

During her childhood, SJ was always active. She was a competitive cheerleader, swam for the junior Olympics team and found time for softball, track, soccer and volleyball. Her shelves were stocked with ribbons and trophies.

She got winded sooner than others, but her drive to compete kept her going. Sharp pains in her chest were chalked up to indigestion. Doctors said her wheezing was from sports-induced asthma.

In 2013, SJ started at the University of Arkansas on a softball scholarship as a team manager because of her health challenges. But even then, her body couldn't keep up.

One autumn day during her freshman year, she felt particularly weak. She told her coach she thought she was coming down with something.

Take it easy and just go pick up balls, he told her.

While bending over to scoop up balls, SJ's heart raced and she became dizzy. Then everything went dark. She woke up in the hospital. Tests revealed heart problems.

SJ was born with a deformed aortic valve; hers had two flaps instead of three. She also had sick sinus syndrome, an electric signaling problem that caused her heart rate to vacillate between too slow and too fast.

"With all the issues I'd had growing up, doctors never had my heart checked," she said. "That blew my parents away. I went 18 years, undiagnosed."

It explained why she was always tired. But the only explanation of what to do next was to keep her heart rate below 200 beats per minute.

Considering her resting heart rate was a high 120 to 150, it was quite limiting for someone so active. So she gave a strength and fitness regimen a try. With constant heart rate monitoring, SJ learned to exercise at a safe level. She felt better than she had in years, mentally and physically.

But by her senior year in college, SJ couldn't fight the exhaustion.

One day during a class, she passed out and was taken to the hospital. She was having a stroke.

"Your body is in a state of emergency all the time," an emergency room doctor told her. He convinced her doctor that she needed a pacemaker to control her heart rhythm. She received it in spring 2017, the same year she graduated with a bachelor's degree in nutrition.

Within a day of getting the pacemaker, she felt energized. This is what 22 is supposed to feel like, she thought.

Since then, SJ has gone on to earn a master's degree in nutrition and become a registered dietitian. She and Bo married this spring.

Sarah Jane and Bo Stallings took over the CrossFit gym in her hometown of Russellville, Arkansas. (Photo courtesy of Stephanie Parsley)
Sarah Jane and Bo Stallings took over the CrossFit gym in her hometown of Russellville, Arkansas. (Photo courtesy of Stephanie Parsley)

SJ has been told that at some point she will need not only a new pacemaker but likely an aortic valve replacement.

If anyone can stay motivated, it's SJ, Bo said.

"She's the definition of limitless," he said. "She's just go-go-go until there's an issue, and then she comes to terms with it."

SJ has been using her experiences to help CrossFit clients and others through her work as an American Heart Association Go Red for Women ambassador.

"I used to feel like my heart issues were a burden, but now I feel like I get to bless people with my story," she said.

Stories From the Heart chronicles the inspiring journeys of heart disease and stroke survivors, caregivers and advocates.

If you have questions or comments about this story, please email [email protected].


American Heart Association News Stories

American Heart Association News covers heart disease, stroke and related health issues. Not all views expressed in American Heart Association News stories reflect the official position of the American Heart Association. Statements, conclusions, accuracy and reliability of studies published in American Heart Association scientific journals or presented at American Heart Association scientific meetings are solely those of the study authors and do not necessarily reflect the American Heart Association’s official guidance, policies or positions.

Copyright is owned or held by the American Heart Association, Inc., and all rights are reserved. Permission is granted, at no cost and without need for further request, for individuals, media outlets, and non-commercial education and awareness efforts to link to, quote, excerpt from or reprint these stories in any medium as long as no text is altered and proper attribution is made to American Heart Association News.

Other uses, including educational products or services sold for profit, must comply with the American Heart Association’s Copyright Permission Guidelines. See full terms of use. These stories may not be used to promote or endorse a commercial product or service.

HEALTH CARE DISCLAIMER: This site and its services do not constitute the practice of medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Always talk to your health care provider for diagnosis and treatment, including your specific medical needs. If you have or suspect that you have a medical problem or condition, please contact a qualified health care professional immediately. If you are in the United States and experiencing a medical emergency, call 911 or call for emergency medical help immediately.