‘I just love the whole process of going out for a run, it’s like a reset button’
A NAVAN athlete with Cystic Fibrosis who has broken numrous world running records for a person with the condition says he has never let the disease define him.
Evan Scully currently holds the world record in 5k, 10k and half marathon for a person with CF competing in a marathon. During lockdown he completed a marathon in Navan, running 42km in a spectacular time of 2hrs 55mins. He was joined on the impromptu marathon with friend Breda O'Connor who finished in an equally impressive time of 2.59.
No stranger to ardous challenges, Evan travelled to Italy in 2018 in a bid to break a sporting world record. The Navan man finished the Generali Milano, a 26-mile marathon in 3.15 with an injury stopping him from achieving his ultimate goal.
Diagnosed with the disease as a baby, doctors told his parents that he would not live to see his teens, however, the Navan man now 35, has certainly defied the odds and wants to inspire hope to others living with the condition.
"I'm really competitive, not really with other people but with myself so I think that is one of the main reasons that it hasn't held me back but I also love exercising even if it's freezing out, you always feel good afterwards having a cup of tea in front of the fire," he said.
"When I was a teenager I didn't really see exercise as good for my CF I just wanted to be the best I could be running wise and then I went through a patch in my late 20’s where I realised how good it was for me, even if I don't want to go out, I have to go out to keep CF at bay. I just love the escape that it gives me.
"I just love the process of going out for a run, it's like a reset button."
Evan credits the determination of his parents to ensure that he reached his potential despite having CF for his zest for life now.
"When you are told that your son won't live until the age of ten, they said ‘well, we'll give him the best ten years that he could possibly have. It's probably genetic the same way as CF is genetic, that inner fight, you just don't give up. My parents just worked obsessively to try to give me the life that I have now and I think routine and habit continued until well I'm 35 now."
The sporting enthusiast who says he never set out to be a role model gets messages from people all over the world inspired by his story as he explains;
"When I was growing up every person with CF was in hospital, the life expectancy was 32, I didn't really have anyone to look up to and I actually didn't want anyone knowing that I had CF.
"If you google what CF is, it's just doom and gloom so I kind of bit the bullet and started a blog and said if I give a parent of someone who has CF a bit of hope, they can see what is possible, it's not all spending the whole year in hospital or living to a max of 32. I got a good response from it and I thought I have to keep this going and tell more people because I get a lot of messages from across the world parents saying we have seen your youtube channel and have seen you on Instagram, we can see what's possible.
"I never wanted to be inspirational or motivational I just document my life and if anyone wants to get anything from that then my job is done."
With Ireland having the highest rates of cystic fibrosis in the world and some of the most severe types of the disease—over 1,400 people are living with cystic fibrosis here currently—Cystic Fibrosis Ireland (CFI) has launched their Christmas Jumper Day 4 CF which takes place on Friday, 10th December. The aim is to raise awareness and funds to help provide support and services for people with cystic fibrosis nationally.