Van Zuidam thrilled to be active after recovery from meningitis

URBANA – Erica Van Zuidam loves the feeling of a good workout that gets her heart pumping.

"It feels like how it used to be. My old life, in sports and everything," she said. "I think that's why it's so fun. It brings back good times."

On Saturday, Van Zuidam ran a 5-kilometer race – 3.1 miles in two laps around the University of Illinois campus, from the Illini Union to the Stock Pavilion. It was her first race on her carbon fiber legs with the zebra-striped cloth covering the top. Her first race since her feet and hands were amputated, the casualties of a nearly fatal case of bacterial meningitis she contracted at the end of her freshman year at the UI.

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