Conservative Principles

I was born with a birth defect that affects my trachea and my larynx. They never fully developed and as a result when I breathe heavily they flex slightly and my air intake is affected. The way it was explained to me one time is that it’s sort of like a paper straw that gets wet and then when you suck it hard it collapses.

In my twenties I started exercising regularly and found that I really enjoyed cardiovascular exercise. Running mostly but also other high- intensity forms of cardio. It gave me a great challenge and I could achieve things physically that I never thought I could. There are limitations with my compromised airflow but I don’t feel sorry for myself and I don’t let it slow me down.

And in all these years never once have I asked that the race be shortened for me to make it ‘fair’. Never once have I asked them to add more aid stations along the course for me. Never once have I asked my teammates to slow down a little or asked the other team to play less hard so I could keep up.

Life isn’t always fair and people shouldn’t act like it’s supposed to be.