Copd Athlete

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Copd Athlete

COPD diagnosis doesn't mean you become stationary. Exercise your way to a better life! Ironman x 3 World Marathon Majors finisher. Smoke , Stroke, Ironman Bloke !

My name is Russell Winwood, I was born in 1966 in Brisbane Australia. I’ve had a good life thus far but have had a few health issues along the way. I have decided to take to blogging to share my experiences with other people in the hope that it can help people with similar health issues. I was diagnosed with asthma when I was young, but managed to have an active childhood playing sports & doing what most kids do. In my late teens I started smoking socially, I’m not sure why as I knew it was bad for me but continue to be a social smoker until I was 36. Christmas Day 2002 I collapsed , too many years of not looking after myself had caught up with me in the form of a stroke. Time to change my habits , I gave up the cigarettes , started eating better, at the time of my stroke I was 88 kg about 15 kg over weight . My son had just started cycling & talked me into taking it up, best thing I ever did . The weight started coming off & I started feeling like a 36 year old should. A friend of mine suggested I should do a triathlon, & after a little hesitation because I wasn’t a great swimmer I agreed. So for the next 8yrs I raced into varying distances of triathlons from sprint to Half Ironman as well as a couple of ultra marathons. In 2011 after noticing my times were getting slower, exercise was getting harder & I was constantly short of breath I took myself off to the Doctors. Spirometer & lung function tests confirmed I had copd, surprisingly the scan showed that there was no damage to my lungs from smoking. My airways had become very narrow due to years of chest infections causing a build up of scar tissue. And so my Ironman journey begins , hopefully my blogs will give some insight on exercising with copd & respiratory disease in general.

16/02/2026

Week 2 total’s are in! Well done team. 72 members averaging 6942 steps a day. 👏👏👏👏

Join the "COPD Baton Pass" group on StepUp, a fun step challenge app.
https://join.thestepupapp.com/GufL8X

09/02/2026

Week 1 of the February challenge results. Great work everyone, let’s keep it going👏👏👏

Join the "COPD Baton Pass" group on StepUp, a fun step challenge app.
https://join.thestepupapp.com/GufL8X

03/02/2026

Windy and rough on the kayak today. Decided to test drive my Inogen Rover 4 on the water for the first time. Worked perfectly, device contained in waterproof compartment and was able to thread the cannula out. Do you miss water sports with the family? This could be an option👍

01/02/2026

Ok Baton Passers! February challenge is 10 million steps. We did 8.9 million steps in January. Let’s get stepping 👏👏👏

Join the "COPD Baton Pass" group on StepUp, a fun step challenge app.

Track steps with friends & be more active together!

30/01/2026

My friends at the COPD Foundation would love your thoughts on Pulmonary rehabilitation. Please take the survey and help shape the future of pulmonary rehabilitation.

Take this survey powered by surveymonkey.com. Create your own surveys for free.

27/01/2026

Excited to share I’ll be running the TCS Sydney Marathon in August this year. Sydney has become the 7th City in the Abbott World Marathon Majors. I think I have another marathon in me. Great way to celebrate my 60th birthday later this year. 🏃🏃🏃🏃

19/01/2026

January is drawing to a close. Who wants to set the Baton Pass step challenge for the month of February?
Can we beat our 2025 step total of 80 million steps?
Share our step group with fellow COPDers

Join the "COPD Baton Pass" group on StepUp, a fun step challenge app.

Track steps with friends & be more active together!

15/01/2026

10 years ago I was asked to write an article for the EMJ about how I manage my The article titled The Four Pillars of Living Well with Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease is still just as relevant now.
https://www.emjreviews.com/respiratory/article/the-four-pillars-of-living-well-with-chronic-obstructive-pulmonary-disease/

10/01/2026

Living my best life with .
Exercise = Quality of Life

01/01/2026

Happy New Year to you all!
New website is live with articles and podcasts. More content to be added.
https://copdathlete.com/

29/12/2025

My favourite post of the year.
69 patients averaging 7,600 steps per day, reached 80 million steps collectively this year. These are people who struggle everyday for every breath. You are all my heroes 👏👏👏

25/12/2025

Merry Christmas 🎄🎄🎄

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Brisbane, QLD

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http://copdathlete.com/

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