Meet 5 high-profile athletes with asthma

• Asthma can make it hard to stay active when physical activities brings to life the symptoms of the disease
• But that hasn’t stopped athletes with asthma from achieving their goals
• From David Beckham to long-distance runner Paula Radcliffe, there are several athletes who have made a name for themselves in the sporting world while living with asthma

Asthma can make it hard to stay active when physical activities brings to life the symptoms of the disease, but that hasn’t stopped athletes with asthma from achieving their goals.

According to MyAsthmaTeam, about 8 per cent of Olympic athletes in the world are living with asthma, and they have managed to excel because there’s no limit to what someone can achieve when asthma is controlled. From football’s global star David Beckham to Britain’s legendary long-distance runner Paula Radcliffe, here are five famous athletes with asthma inspiring many:

1. David Beckham

David Beckham. Photo/ BBC.

Widely regarded as one of the greatest players of his generation, David Beckham achieved success playing for top clubs such as Manchester United, Real Madrid, Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) and AC Milan.

But despite being a prominent figure in the football world, few knew during his playing days that he had asthma. In fact, it was only realized in the latter stages of his career after he was photographed using an inhaler at the 2009 MLS cup while playing for LA Galaxy.

When asked after the match about the inhaler, Beckham revealed that he had been living with the asthma for several years and never saw the need to discuss it publicly.

2. Greg Louganis

Just like Beckham, Greg Louganis is one of the athletes with asthma who achieved success. He was diagnosed with asthma and allergies as a child and spent most of his life in hospital for severe asthma attacks.

Greg Louganis was diagnosed with asthma during his childhood days. Photo/ Scroll.in.

However, he didn’t let the condition take him down and went on to achieve success in Olympics. Considered by many as one of the best male divers in history, his record of five Olympic medals, five world championship title and 47 national title has not been broken till date.

Greg said in an interview that with the encouragement his mum got from the doctor to keep him active despite his illness came in handy.

3. Kristi Yamaguchi 

Kristi Yamaguchi, former competitive figure skater, made history in 1992 when she became the first Asian American to win a gold medal in the winter season Olympics.

A member of the US Olympics and Paralympic Hall of Fame, Kristi was diagnosed with asthma as a child. And just like any other person living with asthma, she had to learn how to manage the symptoms of the disease. Following her retirement, the 52-year-old has continued to inspire people living with chronic illness and served as a national spokesperson in the American Lung Association Faces of Influenza Campaign to basically promote respiratory health.

4. Jerome Bettis

Jerome Bettis. Photo/ Pro Football History.

One of the most prominent figures in the Nation football leagues, Jerome Bettis played in the NFL for 13 seasons. Nicknamed The Bus, he is a six time pro Bowl selection and ranks eighth in NFL rushing yards. He was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2015.

Surprisingly, Jerome achieved all that while living with asthma. He was diagnosed with the disease in high school and has since worked towards keeping his symptoms under control.

5. Paula Radcliffe 

Paula Radcliffe a former long distance runner, who is best known for winning both the London and New York Marathon three times each. She was at some point the fastest female marathoner of all time title and was inducted into the England Hall of Fame in 2010.

Paula Radcliffe never stopped running after being diagnosed with asthma at the age of 14. Photo/ Daily Mail.

But just like the other names on this list of athletes with asthma, Paula was diagnosed with the disease at a young age. She became aware of the disease at the age of 14 while training after her physical activity triggered the symptoms.

Paula believes with the correct medication and management of the symptoms one can achieve anything while living with asthma. She retired from competitive running after the 2015 London Marathon.