3 Years After Stroke, South Jersey Woman Is Hiking Again

ATLANTIC COUNTY, NJ — Doing jiu-jitsu. Mountain hiking. Walking a 5K. Training for a marathon. Athletic things like this were a normal part of Andrea Canlla's life, until one day during jiu-jitsu, a stroke changed her life forever.

Canlla, a lifelong athlete, was suddenly bedridden, unable to walk, talk or swallow. But now, three years later, the 36-year-old is back doing what she loves - and more.

"Although the stroke was a dark moment in my life, it has made me stronger physically and mentally," Canlla told Patch.

It took a while, but Canlla slowly became more and more independent, with the help of doctors and Magee Rehabilitation Center in Philadelphia. Today, she's working fulltime and studying for her MBA at Rutgers, while also continuing physical therapy and keeping active at the gym.

"I used to say I wanted to get back to my old self. But no, my old self didn't have the knowledge and strength I have now," Canlla said. "I want to be my best self with the new body that I have."

She's back to jiu-jitsu. She recently completed a 5K and now she's training for a marathon. Canlla still has limitations, like foot drop, but she's learned to adapt.

She trains with a brace, which she felt limited her mobility. Once she transitioned to using the L300 Go system by Bioness Rehab, though, Canlla said she felt more like her normal self. This cuff stimulates her muscles with electric pulses and helps her foot drop problem. Canlla said she hikes and travels with it and wants to see how far she can push it. With the system, she said hiking is almost exactly the same as before her stroke.

"It helps me get back to the things I used to do and more, in a more realistic way," Canlla said.

It took her a while to get used to doing things differently than pre-stroke. Adaptable sports felt like cheating to her, Canlla said.

"But I work just as hard, or maybe even harder, as a person without it," she said. It's difficult to not compare her current self to her pre-stroke self. But Canlla is happy with whatever progress she gets.

"Regardless, I'm very persistent and very optimistic, and that came out into my recovery," Canlla said. "I try to celebrate the little wins. The first 5K I walked and jogged. Okay, the next one, my goal is to just jog the whole thing."

Canlla's optimism means that sometimes, she forgets she even had the stroke. "I refuse to put myself in the mindset that there's no solution," she said.

And as she continues her training, even if she only gets one percent better a day, she wants others to know that they should never give up.

"Although you go through a tough situation," Canlla said. "There's light at the end of the tunnel."