Sinead Ryan
Sinead Ryan from Firhouse in Dublin developed asthma three years ago. After overcoming the initial health challenges, she is now taking part in the Great Ireland Run and fundraising for the Asthma Society of Ireland. Read her "Life Without Limits" story below.
"I first got asthma in 2005 after pneumonia. I couldn't get used to it at all especially being so healthy all my life. The one thing that I missed so much was playing sports. All my family have a huge interest in sports so when I got asthma it was hard just to be a supporter. I work in the media and mostly in sports so although I wasn't playing sports it was handy to be able to work in sports and not completely forget about them.
Over the last three years I have tried to control my asthma by eating the right foods and trying to keep fit. It has been hard as I kept getting chest infections and difficulty with my breathing. The last six months I have improved a lot and although I am on tablets every night and inhalers twice a day I find that once my asthma is at bay my breathing isn't bad. I have also found that alternative therapies also helped.
This year I have decided to compete in the Great Ireland Run in April in Pheonix Park, it will be my first competitive sporting event since I was diagnosed with Asthma so I have been watching what I eat and with the different change of weather I am making sure I am not getting any chest/throat infections that will set me back.
Although it is only 10k which a couple of years ago would be no problem to me, I hope to finish the race comfortably and not be depended on my reliever inhaler. I see other sports players like Martin Comerford and Ronan O'Gara with asthma and they are performing at their highest even if I was able to achieve a third of their fitness, I would be happy."
