herald sun article with freeman

Did you see this??

http://www.heraldsun.com.au/news/cathy-freeman8217s-asthma-battle/story-fni0fiyv-1226726111687

Cathy Freeman's asthma battle

OLYMPIC golden girl Cathy Freeman has revealed her struggle with chronic asthma at the height of her dazzling sprint career.

Three years before she wowed the world at the Sydney Olympics, Freeman said she was a wheezing, coughing mess - an athlete fighting for air on a running track in Athens ahead of a world championship meeting.

"I couldn't breathe and I was so scared," Freeman said.

"Here I was in Athens and it was taking an enormous effort to control my breathing and it was unlike anything I had experienced.

"I didn't have a puffer. I hate to think now about the times when I should have.''

Despite her fears, the sprint star said she ignored the dangers, determined not to let it interfere with her running.

"I had asthma as far back as early '90s," Freeman said.

"I went through my entire running career not really getting my head around it.

"I put my head in the sand. I think a lot of athletes, when they are pursuing a serious goal, you pass aside your ailments. You transcend them.''

Freeman said the condition was something that affected her right up until her historic performance in the 400m in Sydney.

She was only formally diagnosed with asthma in retirement.

"I guess when I retired the truths really surfaced in terms of my health. I could no longer hide behind my fitness," she said.

"Since I retired from professional athletics, I nearly stopped running altogether because I was just so frustrated with my asthma symptoms.''

Freeman will today help launch a new asthma report and the world's first digital device for monitoring wheeze.

The AirSonea is a handheld device that turns a patient's smartphone into a portable monitor.

The Galaxy Research survey of 1000 Australians with asthma found two thirds of adults and half of children do not monitor their condition despite clinical warnings.

Freeman said the device helped her feel like she had better control of the symptoms and would offer any user peace of mind.

"If my daughter develops asthma, knowing that I can keep a close eye on her wheeze is really appealing to me as a parent.''