Growing up, I struggled with wanting to feel “normal” because I was bullied and judged by my peers for my cystic fibrosis. But then I found genuine friendship in college and learned what it means to feel truly supported.
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At times, my pediatric CF care team told me about the possible negative outcomes of my cystic fibrosis. Their gentle support helped prepare me for unexpected good health, and is one reason why I was able to qualify for the Boston Marathon.
As a personal trainer, I used to feel insecure about the physical effects of CF on my body. But over time, I’ve learned that my strength is defined by so much more than my appearance.
My life was turned upside down when I was diagnosed with cystic fibrosis caused by a rare mutation, but my passion for figure skating has helped me stay healthy and happy through it all.
My whole life I pushed myself physically and mentally to achieve my dream in professional wrestling. It turns out I wasn’t dealing with CF. CF was dealing with me.
Michael Burke bicycled 480 miles in six days to raise money for cystic fibrosis — an unprecedented challenge that he used to think was impossible until advances in CF care helped him live boldly.
I suffered a great deal of damage growing up with cystic fibrosis in a small Appalachian town — physically and emotionally. But with a lot of hard work, I have been able to overcome some of the emotional scars.
Although I admired bodybuilders when I was growing up, I thought pumping iron and building muscle was impossible with cystic fibrosis — so I didn’t even try. After a hospitalization, my passion for fitness was rekindled and I discovered I could build muscle mass and improve my health.
Growing up, I always tried to stay active, but it wasn’t until I was hospitalized that I decided martial arts would be the outlet to keep me healthy and boost my confidence.
When I realized how much my nutrition strategy was impacting my performance as a marathon runner, I decided to reevaluate my plan to be more intentional about how to best fuel my body before running.