“Is it weird if I say I always thought I’d be a runner? I grew up surrounded by parents who ran and did triathlon and at an early age they realised running would be the most beneficial sport for my health too.
I was born 3 months premature which resulted in me contracting a chronic lung disease called bronchiectasis (simply put I have 3 dead patches in my lungs) and I needed to keep active otherwise I would get sick with bad lung infections. I was monitored by Starship Hospital until I was 16 years old. It’s now been 4 years since I have had a bad episode and I can credit that 100% to running!
I used to cough so much that I would vomit; even small things would set me off, like when our class would run a lap around the school field. I would have an uncontrollable coughing fit afterwards that lasted for at least 10 minutes. Water was always offered to ease the coughing, but that never helped as it was coming from deep in my lungs, so I just sat there on the mat literally coughing my lungs out.From 17 I finally started running because I wanted to, not because my parents were making me. I love everything about running, especially all the shoes involved!
Right now I’ve stepped back from competition and am focusing on keeping active in the hope of starting a family with Iain – something we have chosen to be very open about. From there I want to pursue my dream of one day being a professional runner.”
Morgan @morgan_ball_
(Rotorua)
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Portraits of Runners + their stories
@RunnersNZ
