When I was young, doctors told me that running or playing sports would be hard for me. I was born with asthma, which makes breathing difficult, especially during exercise. But I loved being active, and I didn’t want asthma to hold me back. Over time, I learned how to manage my breathing and work with my body instead of against it. Now, I’m an ultra-endurance runner, running distances that many people don’t even dream of. In this episode of the Athlete with Asthma Show I share my story to show you that no matter the challenge, you can find ways to overcome it.

Learning to Breathe and Play Sports

I started playing sports as early as I could. Soccer became my first love. Soccer was tough, though, because it required a lot of running. Sometimes, my asthma made it hard for me to keep up. Doctors said I might never be able to play well because of my breathing challenges caused by asthma.

But my parents didn’t give up on me. They looked for other ways to help, avoiding heavy medications and focusing on things like nutrition and training. I had my inhaler, but I tried not to use it unless I absolutely had to. I started learning how to manage my breathing so I could run and play more comfortably.

Learning to Push My Limits

When I was nine or ten years old, I met an alternative medicine doctor who gave me new advice: only use the inhaler when I really needed it. This doctor also taught me to strengthen my lungs slowly over time. With lots of small steps, I practiced breathing deeper and building my endurance so I could run longer without needing help from my inhaler.

This made a big difference. Soccer games became easier, and I started feeling stronger and more in control. I realized that instead of asthma controlling me, I could learn to manage it. It felt like a victory each time I could get through a game without the inhaler.

Finding the Mountains

As I grew up, I tried new sports too. I also played basketball, and started biking with my dad, who loved to ride. We’d go on long bike rides in Colorado, which made my lungs stronger and helped me with breathing even more.

Eventually, I tried hiking, which changed everything for me. I loved the mountains and hiking up the 14,000-foot peaks in Colorado. Hiking was hard, especially at first, but every climb felt like a huge achievement. It was a thrill to reach the top, knowing that I’d pushed my body to get there. I became hooked on mountain adventures, and I wanted to see what else I could do.

Becoming a Runner

After all that hiking, I wanted to move faster, so I started running. Trail running was amazing because it let me go deeper into nature and experience the mountains at my own pace. Running also felt freeing because I didn’t have to worry about crowded trails—I could just focus on moving and breathing.

When COVID-19 started, I spent a lot of time running alone. I decided to try training for a marathon (26.2 miles or 42 kilometers). It was hard, but I finished my first marathon by myself (not an official marathon). After that, I wanted to see if I could run even farther, like 50k (31.1 miles), 50 miles, and eventually, a 100k (62.2 miles).

Facing Challenges Along the Way

Training to be an ultra-runner with asthma wasn’t easy. I had to push myself to get better while being careful with my asthma. I also had to learn about nutrition and how to fuel my body. Sometimes, I had setbacks (especially after long runs). But each challenge taught me something important about my body and how to take care of it.

One tough lesson was from my first marathon. My legs hurt for days after because I didn’t pace myself well. This made me focus more on how I trained, how I ate, and how I recovered after runs. I lost extra weight and learned to take better care of my body so I could run without injuring myself.

Running to First Place

One of my proudest moments came when I competed in the Bear Chase 100k in 2024. With the support of my team, I finished the race and won 1st place male (2nd place overall)! I couldn’t believe it—I had gone from being told I wouldn’t run to winning a 100k race.

This victory showed me how far I had come. It wasn’t just about running fast; it was about planning, teamwork, progressive overload, and the resilience to keep going. My team, including family, friends, running coaches, physical therapists, etc., helped me get to that finish line, and I’m so grateful for their support.

Lessons from Running and Asthma

Asthma hasn’t just been a challenge—it’s taught me a lot about life. It showed me that with hard work, patience, and the right support, we can handle even our biggest obstacles. Running and training have made me stronger, not only in my body but also in my mind. They taught me that I can keep going, even when things are hard.

Now, I look forward to new goals. I want to keep improving my running times and improve my health even more while being an outstanding partner for my significant other - Tetiana. 

Thank you for reading my story (I highly recommend that you either watch the entire episode on youtube or on your favorite podcasting platform while taking your next run). If you have a challenge, big or small, know that you can find ways to overcome it. With time, practice, and the right mindset, obstacles don’t have to hold you back—they can be the reason you succeed. So keep moving forward, take a deep breath, and remember: the finish line is only the beginning.

DISCLAIMER: THIS INFORMATION IS MY OPINION AND IS NOT INTENDED TO BE A SUBSTITUTE FOR YOUR HEALTHCARE PROVIDER. PLEASE CONSULT A HEALTHCARE PROVIDER FOR GUIDANCE SPECIFIC TO YOUR CASE.