Patient Story of: Emma Sprecher

Growing up, I was always playing sports. Whether it was volleyball, basketball or swimming, I loved pushing my body, challenging myself and working toward getting better at something. It wasn't until college that I found my love for long-distance running. I had played team sports my entire life, and suddenly I found myself without a goal to work toward. In 2017, I signed up for my first marathon – the New York City Marathon, my first World Marathon Major – and I absolutely fell in love with running.

In 2025, I got into the Sydney Marathon through the lottery. I was in what felt like the best shape of my life and had worked incredibly hard throughout my training cycle. But during the final two weeks of training, right before my taper, something started to feel wrong. I developed pain in my upper inner leg that became extremely uncomfortable. I flew to Australia with my leg still bothering me and ran the entire marathon.

When I returned home, I found out that I had run the marathon with a stress injury in my femur (thighbone) and a torn labrum. I was devastated. I had put in so much work, and suddenly I was on crutches for two months. I spent more than six months recovering and had to rebuild from the ground up.

I quickly realized that if I wanted to return to the sport I loved, I couldn't just train hard – I had to learn how to train smarter.

That's where HSS came in. I wanted a program that would not only help me come back from my injury but also help me understand my body better and, I hoped, prevent another injury in the future.

Kate was wonderful throughout that process. She guided me through a running mechanics analysis and showed me things I had never really thought about before: how my foot was landing, where my weight was being distributed and how my overall mobility and movement patterns were affecting my running. Together, we used that information to build a plan to help me return to running stronger and smarter.

After two months, I felt like I had my foundation back. I had both a running routine and a strength routine, and more importantly, I felt more in touch with my body. I wasn't just focused on how many miles I could run or how fast I could go. I was learning how to listen to my body and give it what it needed to stay strong.

Now, about a year after my injury, I have my sights set on the New York City Marathon this fall. My goals have shifted since Sydney. I still love challenging myself, but this time my biggest goal is simple: finish strong and, for lack of a better word, uninjured.

HSS helped me get back to the sport I love, and it also changed the way I approach running. I truly don't think I would have made this comeback in about a year without their support, and I'm incredibly grateful to be back doing what I love.