SoutheastHEALTH Employee Excels in Boston Marathon

Boston Marathon runner Laura Sheridan couldn't have had more enthusiastic supporters than her co-workers and patients at SoutheastHEALTH's Cardiac/Pulmonary Rehab unit in Cape Girardeau.

They watched the race live on streaming video on a computer monitor in Cardiac Rehab on Monday, April 20, and kept tabs on Laura's progress thanks to online data from digital checkpoints along the race route.

"Our patients were so excited. We counted down the days to the race and followed the race," says Anita Smith, nurse manager of Cardiac/Pulmonary Rehab. After the race, Laura's co-workers posted a congratulatory sign on one of the Rehab unit's windows. It read: "Way to go, Laura! We are so proud of you!"

Laura, an exercise physiologist in the Rehab unit, ran her personal best, finishing the 26.2-mile race in 3 hours, 24 minutes and 12 seconds. A smiling Laura notes, "It was my personal best by almost nine minutes."

For Laura, her achievement was particularly gratifying considering the weather. "It was pouring down rain, 45 degrees and 20-mile-per-hour winds," she recalls.

Despite the inclement weather, a huge number of enthusiastic spectators turned out to watch the race. "People would thank you for coming. You felt appreciated," she says.

Laura adds that the race was well organized. More than 9,000 volunteers helped with the race. "They were out there smiling in the rain," she notes.

Laura's husband Collin attended the race. Her training partner Joe Windeknecht ran with her in the race.

Some 31,000 runners began the nation's most well-known annual marathon. More than 26,000 finished the race. Laura was the 8,253rd runner to cross the finish line. Among more than 12,000 female racers, Laura finished 1,542nd.

Laura received numerous congratulations from her friends back home. "My Facebook page was going crazy," she says.