I’m Heather Thompson VanderMyde, from Thomasville, NC. I played basketball for the Lady Tar Heels, University of North Carolina. I was leading scorer and rebounder my freshman year and lead the Atlantic Coast Conference in rebounding. We had All America star Tanya Sampson come in my sophomore year, so I just won a few MVP’s and All tournament teams. I am still in the Top 10 Rebounding History for Career Records. I’m number 10 so who know’s how long that will last :) ?

There was new girl coming in my junior year and she played my same position. Her name was Charlotte Smith, and in case you haven’t heard of her she’s one of the best athletes in ACC history, one of top 10 Women’s athlete (out of sports) in ACC history. She joins Michael Jordan and Lawrence Tayler (also unc grads) who are in top 10 for men athletes. I think the universe new that I couldn’t take sitting on the bench or not starting. I was scared that was going to happen and it was my mission to work my butt off all summer and pre season. You know how some people say we bring our own sickness or injuries upon us. I think that’s what I did by being FEARFUL.  Well I think that’s what happened with me. Fear can bring up a lot of feelings  and  take we can take it on physically and emotionally.  I was going to do everything I could to make Charlotte earn her position. Kind of funny looking back at it, like she would have to earn anything. The girl is awesome, can dunk, and is only 6 feet tall.  Her uncle was David Thompson who had one of the highest verticals around. Can’t remember the exact height, Charlotte, if your reading this email me his vertical. 

All summer I had what felt like a sprained ankle, but it kept swelling no matter how much ice i put on it. Finally I couldn’t take anymore pain, I had gone thru the whole summer teaching camps and working on my game, pre season conditioning, and pick up games  with the guys at Wooland as much as possible. I can remember trying to jump rope and hurting. so badly,  I couldn’t stand it.  I went to Dr. DeWalt at Sports Med, and he gave me and MRI.  He asked me to come into his office for the results and preferred me not to come alone. Well, I came alone and he told me he didn’t think I would be able to play basketball again.  My stomach dropped, and my eyes filled with tears and I didn’t know what to say. I had no idea it would be that bad.  I’ll never forget that day, it was quite a hard year, but I survived. Got very depressed and had to drop out of spring exams. 

I had my operation in Oct. and went thru the season as a color sports commentator for tv and radio for Lady Heels. I was horrible with my southern accent. I had no clue what I was doing, and knew in my heart this wasn’t me either. It kept me with the team, but i just wanted to put my walls up, and numb out. I didn’t won’t anything to do with the team, it hurt too badly. That’s when the depression caught up with me and I took a break for summer. I made up my exams,and went back to fall schedule. I went ahead and took all 5 years with the scholarship , so that gave me more time to figure out what in the hell i was going to do. I was always heather the b-ball player you know? what in the heck am i now?? I had no back up, i knew nothing else. I just floundered trying to figure it out, and trying to see who HEATHER THOMPSON was, I sure had no idea. Ball was always my outlet, it use  to make everything better, i no longer had that outlet and everything was getting worse. Finally I found my next calling thanks to my boyfriend at the time (this was about 3 years later). I moved to the Outer Banks for a job with Kitty Hawk Land Co. After 8 years with them I wanted to try general real estate on my own, so I moved to REMAX and and found myself having a team with two assistants and 3 agents.  2 of which were my sister in laws... NEVER DO THAT!  

Anyway we won REMAX all of FAME in 2005 and rode the real estate bubble until 2006. As the market turned and I burned out, I decided to take a year off. I then found myself in the jungle at Nosara Yoga Teacher’s Training with the WONDERFUL Don and Amba Stapleton!! From that point on, I’ve never looked back! YOGA, has changed my life, and is helping me live a much happier, healthier, balanced life. I now work with Kitty Hawk Land Company at their new development in Manteo, Marshes Light,  teach yoga, and take yoga as much as I can to absorb it all. Yoga is a way to live life. It opens your soul up to light and purges the dark!  Helping people love themselves has been the most rewarding experience. I’m learning and teaching others how to get there one moment at a time.  

Below is a signed autograph by James Worthy, while I was recuperating from my surgery, and Michael Jordan and I, at his Basketball Camp in Chicago... just on of the many camps I worked the summer before my loss, but little did I know eventual GAIN!

I also have a jersey signed by MJ where he wrote: "To the other 23, at UNC"!

I’m happy to say that YOGA is my basketball!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Meaning I love yoga every bit as much as I loved basketball, and probably more. It’s all about loving yourself and being a truth seeker