A man with COPD participates in triathlons [Video]



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You do not usually expect to see someone with lung disease compete in triathlon, but Russell Winwood is not your standard patient.

<p class = "canvas-atom-canvas-text Mb (1.0em) Mb (0) – sm Mt (0.8em) – sm" type = "text" content = "Winwood suffers from chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), a chronic disease that causes inflammation and thickening of the airways in your lungs. Patients with COPD often have symptoms such as shortness of breath, chronic cough, fatigue and wheezing, according to the criteria of & nbsp;American Lung Association & nbsp;– hardly symptoms that facilitate intense sports competitions. Winwood has chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), a chronic disease that causes inflammation and thickening of the airways in your lungs. symptoms such as shortness of breath, chronic cough, fatigue and wheezing These are not symptoms that facilitate intense sporting competitions.

Winwood has nevertheless found a way to make it work. He uses booster oxygen when he runs and cycles to maintain his oxygen level at the point where he needs to be.

<p class = "canvas-atom-canvas-text Mb (1.0em) Mb (0) – sm Mt (0.8em) – sm" type = "text" content = "Winwood has a history of health problems and was diagnosed with asthma when he was 10 years old, and at 36, he had a stroke. "It was the result of a bad lifestyle and it was probably my first wake up call," he told Yahoo Lifestyle. Winwood quit smoking at that time, but his health problems persisted. "Data-reactid =" 28 "> Winwood has a history of health problems.He was diagnosed with asthma at the age of 10 and, at age 36, he had" It was the result of "It's a poor lifestyle and it was probably my first wake up call," he told Yahoo Lifestyle.Winwood quit smoking at that time, but his health problems persisted.

"I just want to be sick all the time," he says. Winwood had trouble breathing and losing energy, and finally saw a doctor diagnose him with "very serious" COPD. "At this point, my lung function was 22%," says Winwood. "My wife and I sat there and thought," That's ridiculous. We can not just do that. We have years ahead of us. We want to see our children grow up. We want to see our grandchildren. "

He has changed his lifestyle, including training for an upcoming Ironman triathlon. "I'm trying to raise $ 50,000 for pulmonary disease research," says Winwood. "I think it will help people better understand what a lung disease is. All I'm trying to do is show other patients that if you improve your lifestyle, you can have a better quality of life. "

Yet his training was not easy. "To this day, I sometimes struggle when I see my friends with whom I'm training," says Winwood. "I can not train with them anymore because I can not follow them. It's difficult. However, he says he learned that he could feel more "empowered" by his illness. "That's what allowed me to make my voice heard and to help others. That's what I want to do, "he says.

Winwood says he has already made mistakes about his health, but hopes to make a change now. "I did all the bad things in life to get to the point [where] I am and I do not hide it for a minute, "he says. "What I'm trying to do is do everything right in life. If you take care of yourself, things will turn around.

<p class = "canvas-atom canvas-text Mb (1.0em) Mb (0) – sm Mt (0.8em) – sm" type = "text" content = "Learn more about Yahoo Lifestyle:"data-reactid =" 33 ">Learn more about Yahoo Lifestyle:

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