MEMPHIS FIT
By Lucy Harrison Photo by Tindall Stephens
Back On Her Feet After Bunion Surgery Over 3 million bunion cases are diagnosed every year in the United States, and women are much more likely than men to develop this condition, especially with age. And while many will have mild symptoms or none at all, it impacted every part of life for 54-year-old Shannon Mullins. Always an active runner, Shannon was on her feet a lot particularly during her time in the army. At age 30 when she was the leader of recruitment program at Appalachian State University, she was running a 7-minute mile to be able to keep up with 18-year-old recruits. After retiring from the army, she also took a break from running and focused on her career. She’s now the Director of Talent Acquisition for a paper products manufacturer. However, in 2009, she turned back to her sport. “I realized how much I missed it,” she says. “It’s my own little zen headspace.” Unfortunately, Shannon couldn’t shake one issue—foot pain that had bothered her for more than six years. “You never know how critical your big toe is until you have a problem with it,” Shannon explains. A bunion is a bone deformity in the foot caused by weak connective tissue, 22
