Welcome to Mission Breathe Again- A runner with cystic fibrosis

Hi, I’m Katie. Welcome to Mission Breathe Again.

I was six the first time I ran a 5K. I wanted to do it the way some kids want to ride the biggest rollercoaster or have the whole birthday cake to themselves. Nobody suggested it, and it had nothing to do with my lungs. I just wanted to run.

That same year, I was diagnosed with cystic fibrosis, a genetic disease that fills the lungs with thick mucus. Over the years it’s meant hospital stays, daily treatments, and a lot of planning around my health. But when I think about who I am, I think of myself as a runner first.

For a long time, other people led with my CF when they talked about me, and it took me years to realize I didn’t have to do the same.

That’s what this blog is for.

I want to tell my story one chapter at a time, with the moments that shaped how I see myself.

There’s the neighbor who once told me, as casually as if he were reading a weather report, that I’d never make the Olympics. There’s the doctor who walked into my hospital room one September and said, “I hear you’re the runner,” and I don’t think I’ve ever lit up that fast in my life. And there’s the Boston Marathon bib that showed up because someone decided I wasn’t going to sit that season out.

Each of those is its own chapter, and I’ll share them in full, including details I’ve never written down anywhere public before.

I’m writing them for anyone who runs, anyone who loves someone with CF, or anyone who’s ever had people decide who they are before getting to know them. I hope you find a little of yourself here.

I’m also writing them for me. I want the real version written down while I still remember it clearly, and if I ever write a book, I’d love for the material to already be here waiting.

Think of this as the trailer. The first chapter starts next post.

You can follow along on Instagram, and if you’re looking for a speaker for your event, you can reach me here or visit my speaking page.