My name is Grace Sims, and I am an active Colorado native. I love to be outside and love the mountains. I run (road and trail), snowboard, ski, hike, bike (mountain + gravel).
I have a successful career and am working as a Vice President of Supply Chain. I also love education. I hold a Bachelor of Business Administration and Master of Business Administration from the University of Denver and a Ph.D. in Organization and Management from Capella University. I am also an Adjunct Professor in Supply Chain at the University of Denver. I love to solve problems, mentor people, see them grow, and give back.
My husband and I met running many years ago, and we got married 7 years ago on the top of Hope Pass in Twin Lakes, Colorado. We had 82 friends hike up to 12,600 feet to celebrate our wedding. Hope Pass is the highest point of the Leadville 100 Trail Run. My husband and I have run the race several times, and it holds a special place in our hearts.
A friend (kidney donor and athlete) inspired me to donate a kidney in August 2022 during a 6-day trail running stage race called TransRockies. This race was a gift I gave to my husband for his early retirement in 2021. The race runs from Buena Vista, Colorado, to Beaver Creek, Colorado, over 6 days. One day of the race, we went up and over Hope Pass, which made it a special event. One night during dinner, our friend presented about his experience donating a kidney and how he has continued to excel in his ultra sports post-donation. His speech was such an inspiration to me. What inspired me the most was that I would have the ability to fundamentally change someone’s life. My interest was high as earlier in my career, I worked for a company that helped medical device companies launch new products. One of these products was a kidney dialysis machine. This kidney dialysis machine allowed patients to have dialysis at home daily instead of every three days in a clinic. Many patients would come in and talk to us about how much we changed their lives. It greatly impacted me at that time and again in August 2022.
After the race, I talked to my husband about how interested I was and told him I would think about it for a few months. A few months went by, and my interest grew and grew. My husband was highly supportive, so I met with my friend who had donated to discuss the next steps. In November 2022, I set up a meeting with Centura Transplant to see if I was a viable candidate. After this, I went through 7-months of extensive testing and was approved as a kidney donation candidate in April 2023. Once approved, my husband and I went in to meet with the transplant team and talk through the details. We both agreed that it was a good decision to proceed. We let my transplant team know that November 2023 was an ideal time for surgery after my big running races for the year were complete. So, we agreed to put me on the transplant list in October 2023. Soon after, I was matched with my recipient, and surgery was tentatively set for mid-November 2023. Ironically, my surgery date was pushed out a few weeks due to my surgeon having an unexpected mountain biking accident and surgery of his own. Thankfully, his surgery was a success, and he was back and ready to operate in late November. I officially donated my kidney to an anonymous recipient on November 29, 2023, at Porter Adventist Hospital in Denver, Colorado.
Before kidney donation, my activity level was very high. I rarely sit still. I have run +45 road marathons, +80 ultra trail races (50k-100 mile). When not working and teaching, I love to run (road and trail), bike (mountain and gravel), snowboard, ski, and hike, especially the Colorado 14ers. My goal post-Kidney donation is to continue with all of these activities I love.
My recovery and journey back to fitness is going well. I was out of the hospital after one night. By day three, I was back to walking on my work desk treadmill, easy Peloton biking, and easy hiking. I even joined a work board meeting dinner and meeting a few days after surgery. I was able to run for the first time after 4-weeks on a track, running super slow. I started skiing (uphill and downhill on green runs) at 5-weeks. I started Yoga and strength training at 6-weeks. At 4 months, I am fully back to running, and I am signed up for my first race back in mid-April 2024.
I had several unexpected hurdles post-donation surgery and feel a bit different. The surgery was much larger and more painful than I thought it would be, I had to be a lot more careful than I had imagined (lifting, twisting, hernia risk), and I did not recover as fast as I expected. The main issues I have experienced are 1) figuring out my diet, especially with less sodium and less protein based on my weight, height, and age; 2) being extremely cold post-donation; and 3) really listening to my body with everything I do. I had to take extra precautions by making sure I did not fall in the first 3 months, so no snowboarding (this season), mountain biking, or technical trail running. For the future, I also need to re-think if 100-mile trail races are a good idea due to the stress on my body, remaining kidney, and balance of diet and hydration. Time will tell.
I am happy I made the decision to donate a kidney to save a life, and I am excited to inspire others to consider kidney donation. I am also excited to start racing again and get back to my new normal. I am excited to be part of Kidney Donor Athletes!
