Julia Wheeler does not like being told she can’t do something.
During middle school, she was diagnosed with exercise-induced asthma. As an adult, she started weightlifting to stay fit. However, in January 2022, she contracted COVID-19. It turned into Long Covid. The combination of Long Covid symptoms and her underlying asthma made it difficult for her to breathe, much less exercise. In 2024, she was diagnosed with a heart condition.
After these medical issues set her health back, she was determined to find a way through it. So, she decided to start running. She admits it’s not what many people would have chosen.
“With asthma and a heart condition, there were plenty of reasons to think I should choose something easier on my body. But I didn’t want my diagnoses to determine what I believed I was capable of.
I started running somewhat simply, with the goal of seeing what my body could do and wanting to be healthier. Over time, it became less about getting in shape and more about proving to myself that having a heart condition and asthma didn’t mean I had to put limits on my life.”
“If you had asked me a few years ago if I would have considered doing a marathon, I definitely would have said no, just because Covid had affected me pretty greatly but a lot of the medicine that’s out there and support from doctors has been helpful.”
She trained with directions from her doctors. She says it’s important to have the right support if you have underlying health conditions and want to start running.
“I now have a twice daily inhaler that I use in addition to my rescue inhaler so that’s definitely helped increase my lung capacity and make my lungs function better.”
She joined the City of Bridges Running Club and found a group of supportive runners that became her motivation during training.
“It’s been really a blessing for me to hear about their experiences whether it’s life, health, or anything like that.”
She started small. She ran a 5k, then a 10k. Then she ran a half marathon.
“For my first marathon training block so much of my training success was due to being in a run club because I was surrounded by supportive people.”
She ran the Paris marathon a year after she was diagnosed with a heart condition.
“I had never ever run that far in my life during training. I had never run more than a half marathon when I started and decided to run to start training for a full marathon. Being able to push my limits with other people who were encouraging me was really awesome.”
Now, four years later, she is about to run her third marathon.
“I ran it to prove to myself that my health conditions don’t inhibit me from doing hard things. If other people can do it then I can too.”
“For me the biggest difference was understanding my asthma and other conditions better, working with my health care provider to find the treatment that works for me. Once I had that in place I was able to exercise much more comfortably.”
What would she tell other people dealing with health conditions and symptoms?
“Listen to your body. Don’t be afraid to ask questions or to advocate for yourself with your doctors.”
What does she want people to learn from her experience?
“I want to encourage people to go out and achieve whatever goal they have, even if it seems impossible.”
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