What We Say to Kids with Asthma Shapes Their Health for Life

When I think back to junior high, my memories of sports aren’t about growth or team spirit—they’re marked by shame and silence. I didn’t get cut from the basketball team because I didn’t care or couldn’t play. I got cut because I couldn’t keep up with the running drills. My asthma made it hard to breathe, and instead of getting support, I was seen as a liability.

During high school volleyball, it was the same. One day during practice, I recall getting yelled at for leaving the court to retrieve my inhaler from the locker room. Another time, I was scolded again because a stray ball had hit my inhaler which I had left on the bleachers. I thought this would be a better location to provide for easy access after we were finished with running drills, once known as "suicides". I remember feeling like I couldn’t win—either I was slowing things down or I was being careless.

The message was loud and clear: My asthma wasn’t just my problem—it was a burden for everyone else too.

So I did what a lot of kids do. I learned to hide it. I learned to push through when I shouldn’t. I learned to carry shame along with my inhaler.

I also learned something else: that the running sports weren’t for me. Not because I didn’t have the heart for them—but because I was made to believe my body didn’t belong in those spaces. And so I stopped trying.

And for years, that belief stuck with me.

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The Invisible Weight Kids Carry

It took me decades to unlearn that thinking. As an adult, I’ve come back to movement—slowly, cautiously, and then, confidently. I ran a marathon in 2008 after giving birth to twins. The life just got busy and my priority was my family. After many years off I started running again in 2024. My asthma had worsened significantly over those years. This time around, I had to build trust with my body. I ran indoors on a treadmill, always aware of my breathing. Over time, I slowly took some of my runs back outside—free and breathing on my own terms. I will be running a half marathon in June 2025 and hope to training for a full marathon next.

I discovered that my body was capable. I just needed the right tools, support, and mindset.

What Adults Say Matters

Looking back, I can’t help but wonder how different things might have been if my coached had responded differently when I faced breathing challenges.

When kids with asthma hear, “Sit this one out,” or worse, get punished for needing to manage their condition, it’s not just a moment—it’s a message. One that can shape their relationship with movement and confidence for life.

Here’s what I needed then—and what every child with asthma deserves now:

💙 Believe in Their Potential

Kids with asthma can thrive in running, sports, dance, martial arts—anything they’re passionate about. They don’t need to be benched—they need to be believed in.

💨 Normalize Preparedness, Not Panic

Having an inhaler nearby shouldn’t be treated as a disruption. It should be expected, encouraged, and normalized. It’s a safety tool, not a sign of weakness.

🏃 Encourage Safe Movement

Exercise can strengthen lungs, build stamina, and boost mental health. Asthma doesn’t have to be a stop sign—it just means we need to plan, pace, and prepare. In fact, Children with asthma who engage in regular physical activity show improved lung function and fewer asthma symptoms over time.

A 2018 study published in Pediatric Pulmonology found that an active lifestyle helps reduce airway inflammation in children with asthma—even in those with moderate to severe symptoms.

👂 Listen Without Judgment

Every child’s asthma is different. Listening to what a child says about their body—without minimizing, dismissing, or reacting with fear—is one of the most empowering things an adult can do.

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These experiences—both the hurtful ones and the healing ones—inspired me to create Puff On Pace and the ActiveBand. I built them for the kids (and adults) who are still being told to sit down, for the runners who need their inhaler close, and for every person who’s ever felt like their asthma made them less than.

Because asthma doesn’t define your limits—your mindset does.

And the earlier we help kids see that, the more likely they are to grow up confident, strong, and unafraid to breathe deep and move forward.