As the girls swim team leaves for State, co-captain, Maisie Burns, senior, won’t be swimming. She has rung out her suit for the last time due to vasovagal snycope.

Burns was diagnosed with this condition by a cardiologist and “to easily explain it, I’m allergic to my own adrenaline,” she said.

“My heart and my brain miscommunicate, and my heart slows,” Burns said.

When Burns needs oxygenated blood the most, during exercise, she can’t get it, causing her to pass out.

Swimming is her biggest trigger and this proves true when Burns’s first attack this season came during the Marquette relays in December.

“After the first event I went to the locker room and couldn’t make it back out,” Burns said.

Co-captain, Raquel Porporis, senior, has seen both attacks and felt “scared, sad and worried” for Burns.

The attacks come with lightheadedness and nausea.

“It gets worse 10-15 minutes after swimming,” Burns said. “I definitely swim better when I’m not feeling sick. Usually the first event I swim is my best.”

The next attack this season came Feb. 3 during a home meet against Eureka and it was worse than any other.

“I couldn’t talk that time and passed out in the ambulance on the way there,” Burns said. “I was passed out for about an hour. I needed an IV to rehydrate.”

Burns is now on a new medication called a beta blocker that she takes twice daily.

“It doesn’t make it go away it just helps my body to not react so violently,” Burns said.

Even though Burns isn’t swimming in State she’s proud of all her teammates.

“I hope that we come home with a trophy and beat Lafayette,” Burns said.