British cyclist, Laura Trott has battled back from a collapsed lung at birth to win two gold medals at the London 2012 Games.
British cyclist, Laura Trott has battled back from a collapsed lung at birth to win two gold medals at the London 2012 Games.
After being born prematurely, Laura’s lung collapsed and she was left fighting for her life. The lungs are one of the last organs babies develop and premature birth can increase the risk of respiratory problems.
After overcoming this, Laura developed asthma during childhood, which is also thought to be a consequence of premature birth. Her parents were advised that as an asthmatic, it would be even more important for Laura to engage in regular exercise, so she took up cycling to help manage her symptoms.
Now, 13 years later Laura has competed on the international stage, securing two gold medals for her country in track cycling.
Laura said: “It’s hard to believe I’ve gone from fighting for my life to being a world champion and competing in the Games.”
Recent research by the Forum of International Respiratory Societies (FIRS) found that 70% of survey respondents thought that those with lung disease were unable to undertake even moderate exercise like swimming or going to the gym. However, in reality, physical activity can help to manage and improve the symptoms of lung disease such as breathlessness, even in the most severe cases.
President of the European Respiratory Society (ERS), Professor Klaus Rabe, said:
“There is widespread ignorance not only around the seriousness of lung disease but about what can be done to prevent it. As countries across the world celebrate the achievements of the world’s best athletes – we feel the time is right to focus on how we can all improve our lung health.
“Respiratory physicians understand more and more about the importance of exercise but our research confirms ignorance is still out there. Even gentle walking for those with severe disease can help in improving lung capacity and general wellbeing and we must get this message through to patients”.