Since she was 8 years old, running has been a passion for CBU senior Meghan Turner. More than a hobby, more than an extracurricular—being a runner is fundamental to Meghan’s identity, and running is a non-negotiable. 

So, in 2021—her freshman year at CBU—when her running times weren’t reflecting her effort and her body felt depleted, she sought help from local orthopedic physicians. 

“Running is so mental, and I wasn’t getting good times,” she recalled. “As a runner, when you don’t think anything is really wrong with you and you’re sore and tired, you think, ‘It’s on me.’ For that to happen kind of crushed me.”

After several visits, Meghan’s doctors said they couldn’t find anything wrong and prescribed anti-inflammatories, which did little to improve her performance. 

Meghan struggled at a regional in Lakeland, Fla., and she knew it was more than general fatigue. Her parents were there—as they had done so many times before—to cheer her on, and she felt like she was disappointing them after they had traveled to watch her compete.

“At that meet, I felt I was giving it 110 percent to give out 20,” she said.

After finishing her event with another less-than-ideal time, Meghan went straight to her dad and asked for a more aggressive approach. She was sure something was physically wrong.

Follow-up X-rays confirmed her instincts. She was on track for early hip dysplasia. The ball of the thigh bone, also known as the femoral head, was not fully covered by the socket. This put Meghan at risk for arthritis, limping, pain, and joint dislocation. 

Various treatment options were discussed, but none would be as effective as surgery. After researching surgeons across the region, Meghan sought out a hip specialist in St. Louis who concentrates on helping young athletes get back to their sport following injury. 

The surgery was intense and extensive: bilateral periacetabular osteotomy (PAO) and repairs to the tissue surrounding the joints. The surgeon operated on one hip in February 2022. The second hip was repaired in July 2022. Each surgery was followed by a grueling recovery period marked by a month-long confinement to bed, inability to move her leg without assistance, slowly graduating to crutches, and lots and lots of physical therapy. 

Before the surgeries, Meghan’s surgeon warned her that most athletes who undergo these procedures never are able to run again, but—not surprisingly—she sought to be the exception to the rule. 

“Distance runners usually don’t get back to running,” Meghan recalls the doctor saying, to which she responded, “I’m going to try to prove you wrong.”

And she did. 

Though she wasn’t exactly where she wanted to be, last season, she “PR’d” or set a personal record in every race she ran on the CBU track and cross country teams. And she continued to improve. This cross-country season, she broke the 20-minute barrier for her 5K time and earned all-Gulf South Conference honors. 

“That made me so unbelievably happy,” said Meghan, who is double majoring in marketing and business administration with a concentration in sports management. She keeps her St. Louis surgeon up-to-date on her accomplishments, and “he’s so proud,” she said.

In order to keep her body strong and not overstress her hips, Meghan takes the “Parker Valby approach.” Valby, a highly accomplished NCAA cross-country runner for the University of Florida, has been incredibly successful without running more than three times a week. After sustaining multiple injuries, Valby realized cross-training, such as time on the elliptical machine and aqua jogging, enabled her to stay in peak condition and prevent further injuries.

“Meghan spent endless hours rehabbing, and now, with all the countless hours of cross-training, weight training, and focusing on diet, she is excelling in the Gulf South Conference,” said CBU cross country head coach Bill Hoffman.

Meghan appreciates her family, her surgeon, her teammates, and Coach Hoffman for their support as she persevered through one of the most difficult periods of her life. Now on track to graduate this semester with honors, Meghan plans to continue her education and will pursue a master’s degree. No doubt, she will continue to run, and we look forward to next steps for this stellar CBU student.

“I’ve never seen an athlete with so much determination and drive after her surgery,” said Coach Hoffman, who has led CBU’s cross-country teams for more than 20 years. “She was determined to get back and show her teammates, but also herself, that a surgery will not keep her down. Classic grit and grind.”