BREATHING DEEP

Growing up in Coffs Harbour, we were part of a small community that was very focussed on the ocean. My dad was a surfer in the local boardriders club, and my older brothers were Ironmen. That all contributed to my life choices but, as weird as it sounds, having asthma as a child is what got me started with endurance sports.

I was diagnosed with acute asthma when I was really young and was in the hospital a lot. I’d have these horrible coughs – my mum would have to karate chop my back to break up the phlegm, and put me on a nebulizer at night. I remember being in the back of our car, being rushed to the hospital and barely being able to breathe.

When I was three or four years old, the doctor told my mum that I should start swimming. If you look at a lot of top-level athletes, especially swimmers, a number of them started out as kids with asthma. As it turns out, swimming is really good for working through