Adaptation to altitude is something most people can do, although it takes time. At least three weeks, maybe more. In the bad old days of East Germany, they build an underground gymnasium and dormitory for their Olympic athletes to live in and train for the Mexico Olympics.
She claimed she moved to the city at low altitude as a young girl, and never went into the mountains. If I understand Coyoteman's post, he's saying that there was a genetic adaptation to natives of high altitude South American mountains. If so, she had it. I was on her first hike at altitude to 10k feet, and she acted like she was walking along the beach at Malibu. Even the other serious hikers in the group were at least working a bit, and she was'nt at all.
But isn't that going the wrong way?