As a captain of the Chicago Luvabull dancers in the late 1990s, Natalie Poli gasped for air after performing elaborate dances on the basketball court for Chicago Bulls fans. Poli had danced her whole life – she started at age 3. In her eighth-grade graduation program, her answer to "What do you want to be when you grow up?" was "Dance for the Chicago Bulls.
" She joined both her high school and college dance teams. For Poli, the feeling of gasping for air on the Bulls' court was familiar. Years earlier, during runs and circuit training with her University of Iowa dance team, she got so out of breath it brought her to tears.
Her chest would also hurt. She thought she was just out of shape. One day after dancing for Bulls fans, 21-year-old Poli came off the court huffing and puffing more than ever before.
A fellow dancer with asthma had an inhaler. Poli asked for a puff. It didn't help much, but eventually her breathing calmed down.
That episode prompted her to see a doctor. She was told she might have athlete-induced asthma and, if so, it was mild; thus, nothing really to worry about. She went back to the Luvabulls and the day job she had at a law firm.
After that NBA season, her second as a Luvabull, Poli left and took a job in recruiting. She got married, had a son named Cole, went back to school to get a master of arts and teaching degree and her professional educators license, then welcomed another baby boy, Dylan. One night when Dylan was 9 weeks old, Natalie – then 29.