Carol Seppilu describes jogging with a tracheotomy as “trying to breathe through a straw while running.” She's even dealt with her trach freezing shut while running in the frigid winter temperatures in Nome, Alaska where she lives. She's learned to adapt to challenges like this since surviving a suicide attempt in 1999. Following years of reconstructive surgeries, she now uses her Siberian Yupik cultural values and her love for running long distances to keep herself mentally healthy.
Video by Valerie Kern and Adam Nicely
Story by Valerie Kern
Music by Universal Production Music
This episode is made possible in part by The Alaska Mental Health Trust Authority.
INDIE ALASKA is an original video series produced by Alaska Public Media in partnership with PBS Digital Studios. The videos capture the diverse and colorful lifestyles of everyday Alaskans at work and at play. Together, these stories present a fresh and authentic look at living in Alaska.
