By Fred Diamond

In this week’s episode of the Love, Hope, Lyme podcast, Athena Brownson, a former professional skier turned Denver real estate agent and Lyme advocate, spoke about her remarkable transformation from a sick person to one who has thrived.

Once defined by athletic precision and high-altitude adrenaline, Athena’s life took a dramatic turn when contracting Lyme disease forced her to confront not only chronic illness but also the loss, and rediscovery, of identity, purpose, and hope.

I’ve spoken with hundreds of Lyme survivors who, during their recovery, discovered that they wanted to help other people struggling with Lyme to learn about new treatments, find encouragement, and have support to keep moving through the challenges of dealing with tick-borne diseases.

Athena has conquered some of the most difficult ski slopes in the world, and had to use those same skills to reform her life after Lyme.

From the Slopes to Survival

“I grew up on snow,” Athena begins. “My dad was a professional skier and a developer in Breckenridge, Colorado. By the time I was 15, I went professional. I was traveling the globe, skiing 300 days a year.”

Her discipline and drive were evident from the start. Through broken bones, surgeries, and relentless competition, she lived by a simple formula: work harder, heal faster, push further. “If I did A, B, and C, I knew I would get better,” she says. “I understood my body and what it could do.”

But in her early twenties, that framework collapsed. “After my ninth knee surgery, my doctor told me I’d need a knee replacement before 25,” she recalls. “That’s when I hung up the boots.”

Letting go of skiing, which was the foundation of her identity, was the first major reinvention of her life. “It was devastating,” she admits. “But I found a new passion in real estate. It was relationship-based, people-focused, and gave me something to work toward again.”

When the Body Betrays

Just as her career began to thrive, Athena’s body once again demanded attention. What began as a routine neck surgery spiraled into years of confusion and pain.

“I started getting these strange symptoms such chronic fatigue, joint pain, gut infections, which I had never experienced,” she says. “I had always been in control of my body, and suddenly I realized something was very wrong.”

When her doctor suggested testing for Lyme disease, Athena laughed. “I’d never seen a tick,” she remembers. “I had no memory of a bite. I thought Lyme disease was something that happened to other people.”

The test came back positive.

She was stunned but also unaware of what was ahead. “I didn’t know what the diagnosis meant,” she says. “I joined a Lyme support group, but it was so heavy. I knew I needed to find a way to move forward that wouldn’t drown me in sadness.”

As she pursued treatment through functional and Western medicine, Athena heard a familiar refrain from physicians: It’s all in your head.

“The Mayo Clinic told me I didn’t have Lyme or any autoimmune diseases,” she says. “They said it was psychiatric. I was already seeing a therapist and psychiatrist so my mental health was being taken care of. But when you feel that sick and people dismiss it, it’s heartbreaking.”

Her condition deteriorated. Her immune system began attacking her own body, triggering a cascade of autoimmune issues. “I developed small fiber neuropathy, where my body was attacking the sheathing around my nerves,” she explains. “That led to one of the most severe cases of EMF sensitivity imaginable. I couldn’t use a phone, computer, or even be around Wi-Fi. I had to live in an RV with no electricity.”

The Power of Purpose

Despite the chaos, Athena clung to her work. “Real estate gave me structure,” she says. “It reminded me that I still had value, even when my body was failing.”

But she also gave herself permission to mourn. “I think it’s important to grieve the loss of your former self,” she reflects. “What I didn’t realize for years was that this loss was also an opportunity to reinvent who I was. Lyme stripped away every label I was such as being an athlete, entrepreneur, and overachiever. It forced me to ask, Who am I now?”

Through therapy, self-education, and community, Athena began to rebuild. “Lyme taught me more about empathy and how to care for people than anything else in my life,” she says. “It forced me to slow down, to listen, and to love myself in a way I never had before.”

Finding Her “Why”

“There’s a period of anger that everyone goes through,” she says. “I’m not naturally an angry person, but I felt so much resentment. EMDR therapy helped me process it. I came to understand that my body was also expressing all the trauma I hadn’t dealt with.”

She became a firm believer in the mind-body connection. “The book The Body Keeps the Score changed my life,” she says. “We store trauma in our bodies, and if we don’t consciously process it, it can manifest as illness. Healing the mind has to go hand in hand with healing the body.”

Her doctor emphasized the same principle: don’t stop moving forward. “He told me, ‘If you lie in bed all day, your mind will deteriorate, and your body will follow,’” Athena says. “Movement doesn’t always mean physical exercise. It means doing something that keeps your spirit alive.”

One Percent Better

Even at her lowest points such as being hospitalized for weeks, struggling to stand, Athena she sought progress. “I couldn’t push like I did as an athlete,” she says, “but I could be one percent better than the day before.”

Athena began keeping a tracker of her healing goals. “I’d ask myself: what fills my cup? What makes me feel a little better?” she explains. “Maybe it’s a lymphatic massage, three short walks a week, or therapy. Tracking it helps you stay accountable and reminds you that progress is possible.”

She learned to measure her success not by milestones, but by moments of grace. “If you visualize what your life will look like on the other side of Lyme and work backward, you’ll see there are small, daily steps that move you toward that vision.”

Healing Through Community

Isolation is one of Lyme’s cruelest symptoms. “When you’re sick for so long, you start to pull away from people,” Athena says. “But isolation only deepens the pain. The greatest thing you can do is find your tribe of the people who truly understand.”

Her advice to others is to be open about what you’re experiencing. “We often expect others to know how to support us, but we don’t give them the tools,” she says. “Tell your family and friends where you’re at. Let them in. This isn’t a burden you should carry alone.”

Athena’s story mirrors what so many Lyme survivors face such as disbelief, confusion, and the need to reinvent life from scratch. Athena’s journey shows that healing is not about returning to who you were. It’s about becoming who you’re meant to be.

A New Chapter

Today, Athena continues to navigate her health challenges with determination and purpose. Though she no longer skis, she channels her energy into her clients, her advocacy, and her writing. “I’m still healing,” she says. “But I’ve learned that healing isn’t linear. It’s a process of discovering joy, even in uncertainty.”

She speaks publicly about resilience and self-discovery. Her message is simple but profound: never stop seeking answers and never give up on yourself.

“There’s no one right way to heal from Lyme,” she says. “Everyone’s journey is different. But if something’s not working, listen to your body. Don’t lose hope. Keep asking questions, keep trying new things, and remember that you’re not alone.”

Athena credits her community, therapy, and faith in progress for her survival. “Lyme crushed me, but it also built me back stronger and more compassionate. It taught me that my worth is tied to how much I love and how much I show up.”

Click here to listen to all episodes of the Love, Hope, Lyme Podcast or on YouTube.

Fred Diamond is based in Fairfax, Virginia. His popular book, “Love, Hope, Lyme: What Family Members, Partners, and Friends Who Love a Chronic Lyme Survivor Need to Know” is available on Amazon. The e-version (pdf) of the book is always free to Lyme survivors. PM Fred on Facebook or LinkedIn for your copy.