12:00 28 September 2016
Adam Whalley with childhood friends Lauren and Dani Phipps after they all successfully completed the half-marathon for charity at Disneyland Paris. Archant
A Suffolk cystic fibrosis sufferer who used exercise and bodybuilding to boost his lung capacity is delighted and relieved after successfully completing his first ever half-marathon.
To send a link to this page you must be logged in. Adam Whalley, 25, from Felixstowe, took part in the event at Disneyland Paris to raise money for the CF Trust, and completed the 13-mile run in two hours and 50 minutes.
He was joined by two Suffolk friends Lauren and Dani Phipps, both 21, who ran primarily for Parkinson s UK, as their grandad has Parkinson s Disease, and the CF Trust in support of Mr Whalley. Lauren ran in two hours and 50 minutes and Dani came over the line in two hours 55 minutes. Mr Whalley said: It was a feeling of relief and delight once we finished. The run demanded the maximum power possible from the very part of Adam Whalley s body which is affected the most: his lungs.
The 25-year-old, whose motto for life is believe in yourself as you can do anything, don t let fear rule your life , had been preparing for 18 months for the 13-mile run. Thanks to constant gym work and a punishing bodybuilding lifestyle, Mr Whalley, from Felixstowe, managed to increase his lung function from just over 50% to nearly 90%. He said: About two-and-a-half years ago I saw the doctors and they said my lung function was down to around 50% and was declining rapidly. They were very worried.
I knew I had to do something and so I started going back to the gym and doing a lot of cardio exercise to help improve my lung function.
I wasn t sure how far I could improve but I began to feel a real difference and after four to five months the level really started going up.
With the exercise proving hugely beneficial, he also started bodybuilding. He had been inspired to improve his health in any way he could by a close friend who had also suffered from cystic fibrosis (CF) and died in her teens. He said: I go to the gym five days a week, can leg press 200kg and bench press 85kg I have improved my lung function to 85% from 60%, and at the moment it s nearly 90%.
A normal person would get 100%.
I ve not needed intravenous treatment for 25 months, compared to every four or five month before this lifestyle change.
I want to make the most of my success and help fellow CF sufferers and improve their lives.
Mr Whalley, who is Felixstowe and Walton United match day programme editor and also works for Ipswich Town FC at Portman Road on match days as a steward helping with security, said the doctors were delighted with his progress. Tomorrow he will join 12,000 other charity runners for the half marathon at Disneyland Paris, running through the theme park and surrounding villages. The entrants will be supporting a wide variety of good causes, with Mr Whalley sponsored to raise money for the CF Trust. The trust funds cutting-edge research into the incurable and life-threatening disease, works to drive up standards of care and supports people with the condition and their loved ones during their lives.
Mr Whalley said: I am really looking forward to the half marathon. It will be a big personal challenge but I have been working so hard and I am really determined.
I have been doing a lot of running in the Felixstowe area and I can do the distance in less than the three hours 35 minutes allowed.
I just want to raise as much money as possible, to make a big a difference to people s lives and the CF Trust as I can.