22-летняя Рили Шоу стала двукратным чемпионом мира по спортивному чирлидингу, несмотря на диагноз нарколепсия

As a teenager, I assumed being tired was just part of growing up. But as I got older, I started to notice something wasn't right. My friends didn't fall asleep while hanging out or struggle to stay awake in class. No matter how much sleep I got, I couldn't physically stay awake. From about age 13 to 17, my parents and I were constantly visiting doctors, trying to work out what was wrong. At first, it was brushed off as typical teenage laziness. But I was exhausted all the time. I had to cancel plans, cut back on cheerleading and miss out on things I enjoyed because my body never felt rested. I could fall asleep anywhere. I was also dealing with brain fog. I knew I was smart and driven, but it became difficult to focus and stay motivated. I struggled socially in high school because I often couldn't think clearly enough to know what to say. At one point, I wondered if I had an attention disorder. A doctor initially suggested I might be depressed, but that didn't feel right to me. There wasn't anything in my life making me unhappy. I just felt exhausted. I asked my mom to take me for tests. I worried that maybe I had diabetes. I saw a psychiatrist because doctors thought my focus issues and low mood might have a psychological cause. But none of those explanations fit. I'd been sleeping excessively for years, including during school. When I was around 17, I visited an ear, nose and throat specialist because I thought breathing problems might be affecting my sleep. The doctor found that I had a deviated septum and a collapsing nostril, but before discussing surgery, he recommended a sleep study. That recommendation changed everything. The study revealed that there was something wrong with my sleep, and I was diagnosed with idiopathic hypersomnia, a rare neurological sleep disorder that causes extreme daytime sleepiness and an overwhelming need to sleep, even after a full night's rest. It eventually progressed to narcolepsy. The diagnosis was unexpected, but it immediately made sense. What I had been experiencing went far beyond normal fatigue. Sometimes I even fell asleep while driving. It felt completely uncontrollable. Later, I developed cataplexy, a symptom that causes sudden muscle weakness triggered by strong emotions while the person remains fully conscious. For me, the trigger was often relief. I was heavily involved in cheerleading at the time. After competitions, I'd feel relieved that the event was over and sometimes suddenly collapse to the floor. Eventually, I had to quit because I became an unreliable teammate. Nobody knew when I might suddenly fall asleep or experience an episode. For years, I tried to manage a life that seemed designed for people with more energy than I had. Then, in 2023, I started taking a medication that works for me. It helps regulate my sleep and gives my body the rest it needs. The difference has been significant. In the same year, I found a Christian cheerleading team, and for the first time I felt like I'd found my place. Because the team didn't compete as often, I thought I could manage it with my condition. It was such a wonderful experience. We prayed together before competitions, and I loved combining my faith with the sport I was so passionate about. It was still incredibly difficult, but I stuck with it. We went on to win two years in a row, and I became a two-time world champion competitive cheerleader. Still, living with narcolepsy isn't something I can leave behind. I have had to adjust my expectations and accept a slower pace of life, which can be difficult because I am naturally ambitious. I avoid activities that induce adrenaline, and I have to be careful about how much I take on. Travel is one of the biggest challenges. Sleep disruption affects me differently than it affects most people. Living in California, I recently traveled to Hawaii, which isn't an especially long trip, but it still took me about a week to recover after I got home. I've learned that I have to plan carefully. I have to think about flight times, my schedule and recovery periods. I often have to say no to things because if I push myself too hard, I burn out quickly. Some parts of life don't come as easily to me as they do to other people. That's something I've had to accept. But receiving a diagnosis also gave me answers, and eventually it gave me purpose. Helping others and bringing attention to this condition gives me a sense of meaning, and that's what keeps me hopeful and positive. Today, I try to use my experience to speak up for people living with chronic illnesses. For years, I was told different explanations for what I was experiencing, and I knew something wasn't adding up. If sharing my story helps someone feel less alone or encourages them to keep searching for answers, then it is worth it. No one living with a chronic condition should feel like they're facing it by themselves. Riley Shaw, 22, is a content creator who uses her platform, @rylie_shaw, to share her experience with narcolepsy and raise awareness.