Lifting weights in a loading dock
“I have lived in DC during a global pandemic longer than not during a global pandemic,” Dr. Liz Franks explains to me as we begin our conversation on a Monday afternoon, over what else but a video call. We started off by discussing what she thought 2020 would be like before anyone had any notion of what was to come. Liz’s forecast for the year was simple; she had set some goals for herself and was ready for a new beginning.
Liz is a postdoctoral fellow working for the National Institute of Health*. Before her life became completely (I am not exaggerating when I say completely) consumed by the pandemic, she had fitness goals and planned to focus on exciting NIH projects. Before the pandemic, she was researching new options for cancer patients who do not respond to some treatments. She was scheduled to present her work at a conference in Hawaii in 2020, but of course, this never happened. As Liz explained this to me, my mind wandered to a dark place. A dark place inhabited by all the innovative and groundbreaking projects that slowed or paused to shift resources towards battling COVID-19. Not only in the setting of scientific research but in every facet of our healthcare system.
After COVID-19 became an imminent threat, her goals shifted to, as she simply put, “survival.” She could no longer connect with her community in her customary ways. She also could no longer blow off steam at the gym, so she trained in the loading dock of her apartment. She borrowed a barbell and some other equipment from her local CrossFit gym and made it work. This loading dock scenario launched me back to all the commercials and ads we were incessantly fed during 2020 about getting creative with working out while gyms were closed. The imagery of Liz throwing around dumbbells and doing burpees in a loading dock could have easily been featured in one of these advertisements. It sounds like a missed branding opportunity for a fitness supplier out there.
Although her primary de-stressing technique now had to take place in an unconventional space, she could still progress her fitness goals. She started counting her macros and taking the initiative to improve her overall nutrition. She attributed her focus on her health and fitness as a prominent reason she was able to survive this stressful phase of life. She made more backpacking trips than ever before, went on long walks, and spent more time with her dog, Mitch. If you ask Mitch, he cannot recommend global pandemics enough. Unlike Mitch and all our furry friends who loved having their people home 24/7, most of us did not feel like we were thriving in the year 2020. Many of us remember the anxiety and confusion that set in when we realized the intensity of this pandemic. Some started working from home, some didn’t, and some lost their jobs altogether.
People like Liz, who work in the front lines of scientific research, are the same people we rely on during events like a pandemic. We just don’t think about them every day. There is a myriad of brilliant minds and decades upon decades of analysis and reanalysis behind the prescriptions you take, the best practices your healthcare team uses, and the articles you read about your symptoms online. We do not see these individuals mentioned in the mainstream media that often, but the positive impact people like Liz have on your life is present, and profound.
The world of scientific research that Liz knows and loves was challenged, questioned, and politicized daily. Liz specifically mentioned that one of the most significant obstacles that she faced was seeing the work of her and her colleagues ignored, misconstrued, or dismissed regularly. She continued to explain, “I work for an agency that is supposed to remain apolitical, but my organization was politicized every single day.” While the state of our country weighed on the shoulders of Liz and her team, she felt motivated to persevere and focus. She has had more nasal swabs than she can count, she wore a level of PPE that made her virtually unrecognizable and faced a dystopian essence during her commute to her office. All this led to the most emotional moment for Liz in the year, when she finally received the email that she was eligible for the vaccine. At this moment, she could finally see a frayed edge on an iron curtain separating her from what now seems like “normal life” and life after a pandemic is conquered.
In addition to her dedication to her work, Liz has also been passionate about social and racial justice work for some time. However, the most memorable event of the year for her was the murder of George Floyd. She can’t help but wonder if the response and outrage from our society would have been the same if this tragedy happened in times where we were all still consumed with the hustle and bustle of our pre-pandemic existence. She had barely been outside and been around other people in months but knew that it was vital to show up and speak up during this powerful time. She attended a few marches, including the 56th Annual March on Washington.
When Liz wasn’t consumed in her scientific research, draped in PPE, or engaged in activism, she tried to stay connected to her family. Both of her parents are high-risk individuals, and her sister gave birth to her first baby in 2020. Before COVID, the birth of her niece is a moment that Liz would have dropped everything for in order to be there. She traded moments usually spent face to face, with scheduled efforts to speak to loved ones all through a laptop screen. Video calls are how she met her baby niece for the first time and attended daddy/daughter wine dates to catch up on life.
We all have our opinions about video calls versus face-to-face interactions. We dread the inevitable background noise from someone’s microphone who isn’t paying attention and the strange robot noises we hear when someone has a poor connection. However, when Liz met her 10-month-old niece in person for the first time, something incredible happened. What do most babies do when passed off from their parent to a stranger for the first time? They cry, of course; but Liz’s niece did not cry when she held her. She was already familiar with Liz because of the time they had spent getting to know one another on video calls. Liz awaits the days when she and her niece can discuss the year she arrived into the world. When she can share how chaotic, how dark, and how uncertain 2020 was, but amidst it all, she joined us here and graced her family with her presence in unconditional love and hope.
Liz no longer has to lift weights in a loading dock, but she will not forget what 2020 taught her about herself and others. “One lesson I could teach the world is, this is a tough time for everyone. We must stand united and spread kindness and compassion. We are stronger together.”
*These statements do not directly reflect the stance of the National Institutes of Health or the United States Government.
Dr. Liz Franks and her dog, Mitch.
