b"A dvancing the frontiers of medicineSiri Lindley her to be a poor candidate for intensive, is not for the faint of heart. ThereChampion Triathlete Credits month-long induction chemotherapy treat-are no textbook answers for thea CU Anschutz Clinical Trial ment. That treatment, the standard of care development of new therapies or medicalfor Saving Her Lifesince the 1970s, aims to kill a maximal amount devices. Success brings great rewards, soof cancer cells. Its the long first step along competition is fierce, the business and regula- Hall-of-fame triathlete Siri Lindley understoodan arduous AML care path culminating in a tory challenges many, and the margin of errormental and physical exhaustion. It was 2019,bone-marrow transplant.slim. Overcoming all that takes the passion,and the 50-year-old was 17 years removedLindley lived in Boulder at the time, and it drive, and commitment of very smart peoplefrom her second-consecutive world triathlonprobably saved her life. Thats because she engaged over the long haulgoing all in andchampionship and subsequent retirementsoon landed with a University of Colorado staying all in.from the sport. She stayed equally busyCancer Center team led by Daniel Pollyea, Fortunately, the life sciences ecosystem iscoaching elite triathletes, cofounding twoM.D., at the University of Colorado Anschutz powered by a motivational advantage thatanimal-welfare nonprofits, writing books,Medical Campus in Aurora. Building on few other industries enjoy. We routinelyworking with her wife Rebekah Keat on fitnessbench research done in the early 2010s help peoplemany peoplefeel better,programs for everyday folks, and emerging asby the University of Colorado School of stay healthy, heal, and recover. Often, too,one of the most sought-after speakers on theMedicine hematologist Craig Jordan, Ph.D., we save lives. Tony Robbins team. Pollyea was launching a clinical trial testing The opportunity to make an impact attractedBut she didn't understand why she feltthe effectiveness of a drug called venetoclax many of us to life sciences. Thats why hearingexhausted just standing still watching otherson younger patients with AML. patient stories is especially rewardingbuttrain at the same level that had led to her twoThe U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) we dont hear them every day. They're outtriathlon world championships. had just approved venetoclax plus chemo-there, and they're motivational indeed. TheShe limped along, literally and figuratively,therapy for treating AML patients ages 75 three youre about to read certainly are, anduntilshehadsomebloodworkdoneinand older who couldnt withstand induction their messages to the Colorado biosciencepreparation for hip replacement surgery.therapy. Pollyea believed the venetoclax- community align: Keep up the great work,Her tests came back with an answer nobodychemotherapy combinations ability to kill AML and stay all in.expected. Lindley had acute myeloid leu- stem cells would make it a better first-round Siri Lindley, a world-champion triathletekemia (AML), which hits hard enough that shetreatment than induction chemotherapy turned coach, animal-welfare advocate, andwould probably die within weeks if untreated.for patients of all ages. Lindley became the motivational speaker, was saved by an inno- Complicating matters, genetic testing showedtrials first participant.vative Colorado-based clinical trial of a drug to treat her acute myeloid leukemia (AML). Brooke Eby, diagnosed with amyotrophic lateralsclerosis(ALS)twoyearsagoat age 33, has taken to social media to raise more than $1 million for ALS research. And Tom Whitehead and his family launched a foundation to advance the science and availability of CAR T-cell therapy that saved his daughter Emilys life 12 years ago now. These patients and patient advocates share their stories to provide hope and encourage investment in health innovation to audiences across the country, including at CBSA events.A sought-after speaker and coach, Siri Lindley now advocates for federal legsislation for all patients to access cutting-edge clinical trials.2024-2025 BIOSCIENCE COLORADO 23"