“I Am a Runner”: Living and Racing With Cystic Fibrosis | Katie

Katie O’Grady has spent much of her life trying to answer one question: How far can she go?

Diagnosed with cystic fibrosis at six years old, Katie found running alongside her dad and discovered a talent that would eventually earn her a college scholarship. But repeated infections, pneumonia, hospital stays, and the loss of her mother continually interrupted the running career she wanted to pursue.

Through it all, Katie never stopped seeing herself as a runner.

In this conversation, Katie shares what it felt like to repeatedly lose fitness and start again, the doctor who saw her as an athlete while she was hospitalized, and the medication that allowed her to take a deep breath in a way she hadn't before.

We also talk about her journey to the Boston Marathon, training under Nell Rojas, her 3:19 marathon and recent half-marathon PR, learning when to back off, and the voice of her late mother that she still hears during difficult miles.

At the heart of it all is Katie's pursuit of her potential not simply a number on the clock, but the opportunity to keep discovering what her body can do.

Every runner has a story. This is Katie's.

Chapters

00:00 The Question of Potential

01:20 Finding Running and Discovering Her Talent

05:15 Losing Her Mother and Rebuilding in College

08:49 The Cycle of Illness and Starting Over

10:17 “I Am a Runner”

11:55 A Doctor Who Saw the Runner

14:41 Taking a Deep Breath for the First Time

19:33 Racing, Training, and Recovery

25:51 A 3:19 Marathon and the Joy of Running

29:02 Potential, Indianapolis, and the Future

37:04 Why Katie Wants to Keep Running Forever

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instagram.com/katies_race_to_breathe/

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instagram.com/thepeoplerunpodcast/
Music: instagram.com/mech__beats