Olympic Athletes Who Don’t Let Asthma Stop Them

This summer as we watch elite athletes push their bodies to the limit, it may be surprising to know that more than one Olympian is living with asthma. In fact, asthma is the most common chronic condition among Olympic athletes. One study found that about 8.3% of U.S. Olympians between 2002 and 2010 had asthma, yet they were able to compete at the highest levels. Similarly, this year’s roster reports that about 16.5% of all 2024 Paris Olympic athletes have asthma. Just as these inspirational athletes don’t let asthma stop them from achieving their dreams, it shouldn’t stop you from achieving yours either. Their stories are truly inspirational, and they show how you too can manage your symptoms, stay healthy and play the sports you love.

Olympic Medalists Living with Asthma

• Olympic diver Greg Louganis struggled with asthma as a child but that didn’t prevent him from earning four gold and one silver medal. Now known as one of the best male divers in history, Louganis began swimming and diving because his mother and doctors encouraged him to stay active to improve his symptoms and increase his lung capacity.
• Figure skater Kristi Yamaguchi was diagnosed with asthma as a child. Despite learning that her asthma symptoms were triggered by cold air in ice arenas, she worked with her healthcare providers to manage her asthma so she could compete in her favorite sport. She would become the first Asian American woman to win a gold medal in the Winter Olympics in 1992 and in 2005, she was inducted into the U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Hall of Fame.
• Ryan Murphy has not let his asthma diagnosis prevent him from competing at not one, but three Olympics. In Paris he hopes to add to his already impressive six Olympic medals, 17 long-course world championships medals and 14, 25-meter world medals.
• Jackie Joyner-Kersee is an American track and field athlete who brought home three gold, one silver and one bronze medals across four Olympic games in the long jump and is considered one of the all-time greatest athletes in her sport. She was already a top athlete when she was diagnosed with asthma in college. “I was told as a young girl that if you had asthma there was no way you could run, jump or do the things I was doing athletically. So, it took me a while to accept that I was asthmatic and start taking my medication properly. But once I stopped living in denial, I got my asthma under control, and I realized that it is a disease that can be controlled,” she once said.
• Amy Van Dyken was just six years old when her doctor suggested that she take up a sport to strengthen her lungs. She had been diagnosed with exercise induced bronchoconstriction (EIB), also known as exercise induced asthma (EIA), which was also triggered by her allergies and respiratory infections. Swimming soon became her passion as it helped her learn to manage her asthma. Since then, she has won six gold medals at the Atlanta and Sydney Olympic Games.
• Sprinting sensation Noah Lyles was challenged with severe asthma as a child. The progression of his asthma damaged his lungs leaving him with a bark-like cough symptom. But at just 26 years old, he has already won six world championships and is hoping to add a gold medal from the Paris Olympics to his accolades.
• Olympic swimmer Tom Dolan was not only diagnosed with asthma as a child, he also has an unusually narrow windpipe that allows him to only inhale about 20% of the oxygen of the average person. But he didn’t let that stop him. Though chlorine can be an asthma trigger for some, Dolan found that swimming was a good exercise option because pools are warm, moist environments that won’t dry out airways. Not only did his determination help him win two gold medals, be he also started a swim school in Virginia to encourage and train children with conditions like his to fall in love with the sport.

Manage Asthma Symptoms like an Olympian

What the careers of these and many other famous athletes prove is that an asthma diagnosis doesn’t mean you can’t compete in sports. Though, exercise-induced asthma is common in about 40-90% of people with asthma, through a proper diagnosis and treatment plan, achieved by working closely with your healthcare provider team, can manage and control symptoms.

Generally, people with asthma can participate in all types of exercise. However, depending on the person, asthma can initially make catching your breath during or after activity difficult. This is because exercise requires your body to receive higher levels of oxygen, deepening and speeding up your breathing. For people with asthma, this increase in inhaled air can cause the airways to narrow and obstruct airflow. Symptoms like coughing, wheezing, and shortness of breath, among others, vary from person to person. They usually start within three minutes but can also occur upon completing the activity or shortly thereafter. That is why it is important to be aware of your asthma signs and symptoms, so you can act before your breathing worsens.

Additionally, follow these tips to exercise safely:

• Begin every exercise with a warm-up
• Take your asthma medicine before exercising
• Cover your nose and mouth with a scarf when exercising outdoors in cold temperatures.
• Limit exercise or strenuous activities outdoors when the air quality is unhealthy (orange) and avoid outdoor activities when the air quality is red, purple or maroon.
• Remember to include a cool down period.
• If you start to have pain or a tight feeling in your chest, have a cough or become short of breath during exercise, stop the activity right away. Take your quick-relief inhaler. Sit down and try to relax. Try a belly breathing exercise for relaxation. For kids, they should be sure to tell an adult as soon as symptoms start, take their medicine, and sit down and try to relax.

Though exercise may be an asthma trigger for some, doctors agree that staying active can help you manage your asthma by improving lung function, reducing symptoms and boosting quality of life.