Doctors Told Wendy She'd Never Run Again

"I’d been regularly active until 2013 when, just after completing an Ironman race, I was diagnosed with Rheumatoid Arthritis, a disease where my immune system attacks my joints, and I rapidly became immobile.

Once my medication started to work I was still left with fluid on my knee and fatigue but started trying to run again. I quickly realised I physically couldn’t manage it any more, the pain was too much, and my doctors told me that this was what I could expect now going forward.

I remembered seeing the Running School in a running magazine and, after approaching them at an exhibition, I began coaching with them and even within the first session I felt the improvement and I was able to run without pain. I feel like my fatigue is less intrusive, especially if I can get out for a stress busting run, it feels like I’m not really ill anymore.

I still have painful joints but I kept working with the Running School and recently made it to my long term goal of a 10k– I had expected to do this under 1hr 30 and surprised myself with just over 1 hour! It sounds cliché to say that I got my life back but it really feels like that – I’ve got the old me back and I’ll never be able to thank them enough for that.

" Wendy O'Brian