CLEVELAND — After overcoming major medical obstacles to continue her competitive athletic career, Avon Lake junior Maya Austerman will be presented with the Cleveland Clinic Sports Medicine Courage Award at the 2023 Greater Cleveland Sports Awards later this month.
The award is presented annually to "an athlete who displays courage beyond the boundaries of their playing field, in order to inspire those around them."
In 2021, Austerman was diagnosed with exercise-induced laryngeal obstruction, or EILO -- a condition often mistaken for asthma -- by Dr. Claudio Milstein, Ph.D., a voice and upper airway specialist at the Head and Neck Institute at the Cleveland Clinic. Austerman's diagnosis came after she experienced chest and throat tightness, shortness of breath and wheezing during periods of intense play while playing summer basketball in 2019, leading to an increase in anxiety while exercising.
Following her diagnosis, Austerman attended four therapy sessions with Dr. Milstein focused on a variety of breathing techniques to help retrain her vocal cords to remain open during strenuous activities. She initially, however, found herself becoming stressed and anxious when trying to apply these strategies in practice or during a game.
Austerman stuck with it, practicing her breathing techniques relentlessly. She ultimately made the girls varsity basketball team the following year.
"When I first saw Maya, she was down and out. She was struggling with her breathing on the court, and you could tell how much it was affecting her off the court,” Dr. Milstein said in a release. “Thinking she may have to give up basketball was tough for her, but with the right diagnosis of EILO, we were able to treat her, allowing her to make her way back. I am proud of how hard she worked and continues to work to keep her EILO under control."
While Austerman continues to experience symptoms of EILO, which she may always have, she now feels more confident in using her breathing techniques to combat the condition.
“I feel lucky to have been able to figure out why I was struggling to breathe and when I finally received my diagnosis, I used it as validation to jump right into my recovery,” she says. “At times, I feared I may never be able to play basketball or any sport again, but I’m grateful to have had the support from my family and the team at the Cleveland Clinic to help me return to playing the sport I love.”
The 2023 Greater Cleveland is the premier annual sports fundraiser supporting Greater Cleveland Sports Commission and will take place on Wednesday, Jan. 25, at Cleveland's Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse. This year's event will be hosted by Cleveland Browns legendary left tackle Joe Thomas.
You can learn more about Maya's journey in the video player below.