Meet Mya Bunke!
Hometown - Slinger, Wi
High School - Slinger High School
College - University of Wisconsin Madison School of Medicine and Public Health
Favorite color - Blue
Favorite food - Post-race cheese burger w/ pickles
Favorite drink - Coffee
Favorite running training shoe - Brooks Ghost Max
Favorite running race shoe - UA Shakedown Elite
Favorite place to run - UW Arboretum
Best race memory - Hosting XC Nationals in 2024
Personal Best Race Times
- Mile - 4:38
- 1500 - 4:18
- 5k - 16:21
- 6k xc - 20:17
What injuries have you had in the past? Proximal Hamstring Tendinopathy.
How do you feel about your injuries mentally? Injuries are always hard mentally, no matter the severity and duration of the injury. Running and training with my teammates is my favorite part of the day. Injuries are isolating and it takes a lot of strength to lean on other passions and focus on the long term.
What was your recovery plan? I received a Platelet-Rich Plasma injection in spring of 2024. From there, recovery really started from ground zero. I had to take 2 weeks of complete rest, and then over the course of 12 weeks building up aerobic capacity through cross training and finally some consistent ground mileage.
How has LightSpeed Lift been incorporated into your training and recovery plan? While building into ground mileage, the LightSpeed was a crucial tool in my recovery to be able to offload while practicing a running form. Cross training is great for building fitness after an injury, but it doesn't require all the same muscles as running. So having the LightSpeed was not only great for building running fitness, but even more importantly, confidence in my body that I can run pain free after years of chronic hamstring pain and that I am doing all the right things to not reinjure myself. Additionally, my providers and coaches were easily able to assess my running form from various angles because of the minimalist structure and ensure that I wasn't compensating. I continue to keep a LightSpeed run in my weekly mileage to ensure I can hit my mileage goal and recover at the same time.
What do you love best about the LightSpeed Lift? I love how natural running feels on the LightSpeed Lift and how easy and convenient it is to use.
How long have you been using the LightSpeed Lift? The LightSpeed has been a consistent part of my training plan since 2023.
As a PT student, what do you believe are the benefits to using LightSpeed Lift? As a PT student, I have recognized the various uses of the LightSpeed Lift outside of just elite running. It is an affordable and versatile tool for clinics. The lightspeed could be used in neurological clinics as a tool to practice walking, and even balance exercises when the system is used without a treadmill. It would allow for a way for therapists and patients to challenge the balance system without the risk of a fall. Additionally, it could be used in pediatric clinics in similar ways. The frame could be used as an anchor point for resistance exercises and even used as a way to work on explosive power when anchoring the athlete from the bottom segments of the machine. The simple nature of the structure would allow for therapists to get creative in meeting their patient's needs.
When do you use the LightSpeed Lift? And why? I primarily use the LightSpeed Lift on my recovery days to allow for recovery while still getting in mileage.
What benefits do you see physically and mentally from using LightSpeed Lift? Physically, the LightSpeed Lift is a great tool to feel like you are running and gaining fitness or improving recovery based on your intent. Mentally, the LightSpeed Lift is great to calm worries about overtraining and improve confidence in sustained performance during a long season or hard training block.
Which LightSpeed Lift system do you use? I use the LightSpeed Lift LSX-500 model.
"Mya has a drive for personal excellence on the track, and the empathy to help others who are injured move forward in their lives. This drive led her to Physical Therapy school, where she is beginning to recognize how much LightSpeed's Lift can help people regain the gift of standing, walking, and running efficiently." - Malcolm Macaulay, LightSpeed Lift Founder
Photos courtesy of Mya Bunke / first photo courtesy of University of Wisconsin-Madison