Aortic Athletes
Empowering people with aortic disease to lead healthier lives through exercise. Don't Quit. Adapt.
DISCLAIMER: The information on this website is for educational purposes only. This website does not provide medical advice, diagnosis or treatment for aortic disease. See your cardiologist for medical advice, including about exercise and aortic disease.
About Us
Aortic Athletes is a private support group where people with aortic disease encourage one another to pursue active lives through exercise.
We are women and men who have an aortic aneurysm, have had an aortic dissection, or have had an aortic aneurysm or dissection repair. And we exercise for our physical and mental well-being, with the consent of our cardiologists.
This is also a place to share best practices about exercise as the medical and scientific community begins studying a sub-group from a relatively rare disease: athletes with aortic disease.
We believe in science. This is not a place for alternative medicine or to promote unhealthy practices for those with aortic disease.
We are each on our own lifelong journey with aortic disease and have unique physical strengths or limitations. We strive to remain fit and active athletes within those limitations.
How we started
In January 2021, shortly after suffering an aortic dissection, former Ironman triathlete and endurance athlete Jack Crowe googled “Ironman” and “aortic dissection”—only to find no relevant search results. His future in distance biking, marathons, and open water swims suddenly seemed uncertain.
Then, in May 2021, Jack discovered a post in a Facebook support group for individuals with aortic aneurysms. The post was by Carmen David, who recounted how she had completed a self-organized marathon near her Texas home—six years after enduring a complicated Type B aortic dissection following childbirth. Later that fall, Carmen also ran the TCS New York City Marathon. Carmen was also funding research into aortic disease and exercise through the proceeds from an annual 5K/10K event she founded, “Run for Aortic Health.”
As Jack and Carmen got to know each other, they noticed a gap in available online support: none of the existing Facebook groups focused solely on the intersection of aortic disease and exercise best practices. Determined to fill this void, they launched Aortic Athletes on Facebook in March 2023. Their new community provides a space where people with aortic disease, aortic aneurysm, and aortic dissection can exchange peer-to-peer support and share evidence-based medical insights on exercise.
Since its inception, Aortic Athletes has grown rapidly and now boasts over a thousand members from around the world, each pursuing their own unique exercise journeys despite their diagnoses. In addition, Carmen and Jack also conduct popular live YouTube interviews about aortic disease and exercise with researchers, cardiologists and surgeons, as well as inspiring Aortic Athletes.
Contact Us
email: info@aorticathletes.org