Living and competing with Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome (POTS) or other forms of Dysautonomia can feel overwhelming. As a former collegiate athlete turned Ironman World Championship competitor, I know firsthand how isolating it can be to battle a misunderstood condition while trying to hold onto your identity as an athlete.
At Embrace It, we work with athletes and their support systems to bridge the gap between health and performance helping to navigate symptoms, develop individual training plans, and openly talk about the emotional and physical challenges of continuing to compete while managing their health.
Our Mission
At Embrace It, our mission is to empower athletes living with Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome (POTS) and other forms of dysautonomia to rediscover their strength, purpose, and athletic identity. We bridge the gap between medical understanding and athletic potential. Helping athletes and athletic programs embrace their unique challenges rather than be defined by them.
Our Philosophy
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We believe that every athlete deserves a chance to perform, heal, and thrive, no matter the diagnosis. Our approach combines education, science-backed strategies, and compassionate mentorship to guide athletes toward sustainable progress.
Rather than focusing on limitations, we help athletes and institutions build frameworks for adaptation, resilience, and recovery.
What We Do
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For individual athletes, Embrace It offers one-on-one mentorship, and a personalized training plan tailored to your specific health journey, athletic goals, and lifestyle.
For universities and college athletic departments, we provide expert consultation, staff training, a personalized training plan, and ongoing support to create environments where student-athletes with chronic conditions can safely and confidently compete.
With lived experience, medical understanding, and a strong foundation in biology, Embrace It uniquely connects the science of POTS with the psychology of athletic perseverance.
Our Training Approach
The development of an individualized training plan takes into account several key factors, including current exercise tolerance, familiarity and comfort with various forms of cardiovascular exercise, and the time available for training.
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The training plan will involve two components. One being cardiac rehabilitation, and the other being differing forms of cardiovascular exercise.
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Cardiac rehabilitation plays a crucial role in improving symptoms of POTS by helping the cardiovascular system gradually adapt to exercise and upright activity. Structured, progressive exercise, performed under expert guidance, can increase blood volume, strengthen the heart, and enhance circulation.
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Through endurance and resistance training, athletes can improve their tolerance to daily activity and sport, reducing episodes of syncope, fatigue, dizziness, and other symptoms often associated with POTS. At Embrace It, these principles are central to our approach: building strength from the inside out, one step at a time.
Founder
Elise Greenwald
Advocate for chronic illness awareness, particularly for Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome (POTS) & IRONMAN Athlete Ambassador
As a former collegiate athlete who developed POTS during her own athletic career, She lived the challenges that come with trying to balance training, recovery, and health. She earned her B.A. in Biology from The College of Wooster, where her passion for physiology, performance, and resilience began.
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Today, she combines her personal journey with scientific knowledge to help athletes and institutions navigate the often-misunderstood world of Dysautonomia. Her goal is to ensure that no athlete has to face this journey alone, and that every athletic department has the tools to support them.
Background:
Education
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BA in Biology from The College of Wooster in Ohio.
Research
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The College of Wooster: Thesis titled “You Can Teach an Old Dog New Tricks: An Assessment of Canine Trainability Predictors.”
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The College of Wooster: Conducted research on mosquito reproduction using microdissection and DNA analysis to help prevent the transmission of mosquito-borne viruses to humans.
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Ohio University: Collaborated with the medical school and the International Space Station to study C. elegans behavior in the presence of ethanol. ​
Health Coach
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Works with patients facing a variety of health conditions to help them achieve greater stability and improved well-being.​
Advocacy
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Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome (POTS) advocate, sharing her journey on social media at @sit.stay.renee.
Sports
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Track and field and cross-country runner for the College of Wooster.
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Athens, Ohio Marathon finisher.
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Completed IRONMAN Lake Placid in July 2025.
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Competed in the IRONMAN World Championship in Hawaii.