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10/23/2005 Archived Entry: "Shampang Survives Serious Brain Injury"
Shampang Survives Serious Brain Injury
The Oregonian newspaper
Sunday, October 23, 2005
-- Patrick O'Neill
Injury had athlete on the ropes, but she's fighting her way back
Background: A story in June told about Linda Shampang of Leaburg, a popular fitness instructor in Eugene who collapsedhours after losing her first professional boxing match. She suffered a subdural hematoma that compressed the left side of her brain and underwent brainsurgery.
Update: Almost every day, you can find Shampang at Oakway Fitness Center in Eugene doing water aerobics in the pool, lifting weights, and, yes, sparringwith her boxing coach.
Not bad for a 50-year-old who spent most of the summer in the hospital with a brain injury. She had be en paired in her first pro boxing match with JennyHouts of Portland, who was 4 inches taller and 15 years younger.
Shampang doesn't remember anything about the fight, although she has watched a video of it numerous times.
"She clobbered me really good," Shampang says.
She says she and her former opponent have talked about the fight, and Houts came to see her once.
Shampang can see out of both eyes, but her field of vision is restricted. She has problems with her balance -- she's attending physical therapy sessionsfor that -- and her short-term memory isn't what it should be.
Her daughter, Amy Coduti, says her mother's recovery has been "fantastic."
"Her memory is slow coming back, but it's getting better and better every day," Coduti says.
While Shampang enjoys working out with her boxing coach, Kip Triplett, she has no plans to take up boxing professionally again.
"Thank God, I'm alive," she says. "I'm not supposed to be here. I have no regrets. I went into this willingly."
Kris Christensen, an owner of the fitness center and a close friend ofShampang's, says the recovery has been swift.
"A month ago, she couldn't walk on her own; she couldn't talk," Christensensays. "And now she's upstairs boxing with Kip."
What's next: When her vision gets better, Shampang says, she hopes to climbback on her 2-year-old Harley-Davidson. She at least wants to be able to driveagain. For now, her daughter takes her to physical therapy appointments andto the fitness center. %%byline%%-- Patrick O'Neill
