David Beckham has Asthma
It was recently reported that David Beckham has asthma. The football superstar had managed to keep the secret under wraps but he admitted to needing an inhaler and having needed one his whole life. This poses an interesting question, how do professional athletes perform at the top of their game if they have a disease like asthma? It is a very debilitating disease that blocks off the airways and impairs a person’s ability to breath. It does not really make sense, how an athlete can perform when their breathing is affected but a lot of them do and the list of professional athletes with asthma is pretty long. There must be something special about this breed of power athletes.
It seems that exercise is one of the most common causes of asthma along with allergies and infection and yet we have come to know of many athletes who have overcome the odds and reached the top of their game despite having the illness. The list of elite athletes with asthma reads like a who’s who of sports. The list includes; basketball star Dennis Rodman who was one of the leading players in the NBA alongside Michael Jordan, British long distance runner Paula Radcliffe, tennis star Justine Henin and David Beckham. These athletes are so interesting that they require further analysis.
Dennis Rodman, known for his crazy off court antics and his strange hair colour, won five championships and was the leading rebounder in the league. He played basketball even though he was diagnosed with asthma early on in life.
Paula Radcliffe is something of a miracle. She is a long distance and marathon runner and she is the current world record holder in the marathon. She has asthma and it is almost impossible to run marathons when a person has the disease, yet she takes it in her stride.
Justine Henin, the four time French Open winner was diagnosed with asthma late in life at the age of 25, but she managed to rise above it and win championships.
David Beckham, one of the world’s most famous footballers, has recently revealed that he suffers from asthma and has done so since he was a boy. He has never made the fact public until now, because he was recently seen violently coughing on the pitch after an LA Galaxy game. It is interesting to think that one of the best footballers in the world could have asthma. It is likely to inspire children with asthma, who idolise the man, to try to get into sports and follow his lead. Beckham shows us that determination and strength of character is all that is needed to overcome a disease like asthma and reach the top of the sports world.
It seems there are ways that a budding athlete with asthma can overcome the disease and reach the pinnacle of success. Doctors say that anyone who has asthma and is looking to get into sports should first make an elaborate and detailed plan of action and stick to it through the years. Asthma can be minimised and it does not have to become a problem for a sport star. Also an athlete should have back up inhalers on hand and try to keep themselves well hydrated and cool at all times. With a little planning and a lot of hard work every athlete can overcome their disease and go on to do great things on the field of play.
Research has been conducted that shows that athletes suffer from a special type of asthma that normal patients do not get. It may be that because they exercise a great deal it could be a different type of asthma that affects them. But one thing is clear though it seems to be that the competitive spirit and never give up attitude that so many athletes have makes them able to conquer the disease and become top athletes in their chosen field. It is extremely difficult to function sometimes with asthma and it is almost impossible to perform athletic feats with the disease. Through planning and preventive measures it can be controlled and an athlete can overcome it.
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