ABOUT
ME
The Story of The Hypoxic Hiker
Passionate About Helping Others especially those with Respiratory or Chronic illness.
"People told me I was stupid, when I made my plan. They said I was too old, not smart enough, I wasn’t good enough, or strong enough. It sounded absurd to most everyone, but not myself. I was leaving my comfort zone for a world of adventure, light and love.
....I’m so glad I never listened to everyone." - Chantelle Shoaee
Chantelle Shoaee’s story is one of resilience and overcoming adversity. Born prematurely with multiple birth defects, including a tracheoesophageal fistula, Chantelle’s life began with a fight for survival. Just hours after birth, she underwent major surgery, during which she was resuscitated 13 times. This challenging beginning set the stage for a life filled with medical complications, including vocal cord dysfunction, a collapsed vocal cord, asthma, and low-functioning lungs, leading to frequent respiratory infections and chronic pneumonia.
For 38 years, Chantelle’s airway was 90% collapsed, causing chronic pneumonia and severe breathing difficulties. It wasn’t until 2020, in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, that she discovered the extent of her airway collapse through testing at National Jewish Health. In January 2021, she made the decision to undergo a tracheoplasty at UCHealth / National Jewish Health in an effort to restore her breathing capacity and improve her quality of life.
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Despite the tracheoplasty, Chantelle’s health struggles persisted after the surgeon damaged her vagus nerve during the procedure, leading to chronic respiratory failure, gastroparesis, dysautonomia, Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome (POTS), Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease (GERD), low-functioning lungs, a paralyzed/low-functioning esophagus, dysphagia, nerve damage to the right rib cage, a clipped/damaged vagus nerve, and is pending a diagnosis for a traumatic brain injury (TBI) due to vagus nerve damage.
Her health journey took a positive turn when she began seeking treatment from the Chinese medicine doctor at Yao Medical Clinic. Through IGG and MRT food sensitivity testing, her health dramatically improved. The results from these tests allowed her to take control of her chronic illnesses, leading to significant relief after years of struggle.
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Chantelle initially underwent the tracheoplasty surgery to avoid becoming a supplemental oxygen adventurer. However, through this journey, she found herself embracing a new path—one that led to the creation of the very first oxygen adventure backpack, the Talon O2, in collaboration with Osprey Packs. Chantelle is grateful for the incredible community of adventurers, whom she calls her Hypoxic Homies, that she’s met along the way. Together, they’ve taught each other so much about oxygen resources, equipment, and adaptability, enabling one another to enjoy the outdoors despite respiratory challenges.
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Through Always Choose Adventures (now Camp ACA), the Talon O2 backpack, and the friendships she’s built, Chantelle has redefined what it means to overcome adversity and break barriers to bring the outdoors to everyone.
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Chantelle’s journey is a testament to perseverance and the human spirit’s capacity to overcome, and she now advocates for others with respiratory challenges, helping them access the outdoors and discover the healing power of nature​