Stair climb for asthma

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Hamilton Tiger-Cats offensive lineman, Jake Olson, has had asthma since he was a kid. He says he was diagnosed in elementary school after losing his breath during recess, “My mom picked me up after school and I could never catch my breath. And she took me to the hospital and my lips were actually starting to turn blue. And that’s when they diagnosed me with asthma.”

He knows the challenges of competing when you lose your breath easily and have trouble catching it, especially when your team is relying on you. Olson says when his asthma acts up during a play, he doesn’t let it overwhelm him, “I focus on it and take big deep breaths and focus on getting it back because I know I have to be back on the field at any minute again and I could be out of breath again.”

That’s why he’s leading the charge for the Ontario Lung Association’s ‘Stair to Care’ climb with his little buddy, nine-year old Logan Glazier, who also has asthma. Participants will be climbing the stairs at Tim Hortons Field to raise money and awareness for asthma. The climb is on September 19th and that falls in what’s referred to as “week 38”. During that week, hospitals treat more children for asthma attacks than any other time of year. According to the president of the Ontario Lung Association, George Habib, there are over 570,000 kids living with asthma in Ontario. They are less likely to comply with their medications over the summer so their symptoms build up and spike in September.

Olson wants them to know they can still be active as long as they take their inhalers, “If you have asthma, don’t let it stop you. You can play sports and do the things you love. It’s not going to stop you from doing that.”

Visit the ‘Stair to Care’ website for more information:  support.on.lung.ca