Runner David Brumley was diagnosed with Common Variable Immune Deficiency (CVID) in 2008, and figured getting in shape couldn’t make his health any worse than it already was. He has been chronically sick for as long as he can remember, but despite having a severely compromised immune system, he used a combination of patience and persistence to become an endurance athlete.

Last year, he closed out the triathlon season with the Stonebridge Ranch Triathlon that came only five weeks after he completed Ironman Louisville. Now 41, Brumley uses training for an Ironman as a way to inspire others who suffer from immune deficiencies. “I wanted to do something that was border line impossible to encourage people to accept that their bodies present a huge obstacle,” he said. “With patience and persistence, they can do more than they think.”

This was the primary reason he created Triforbetter.org. His intention is to provide a means for people with primary immunodeficiency diseases to improve their lives by making positive lifestyle changes.

Brumley acknowledges that completing an Ironman isn’t within reach of most people with immune deficiencies, but he maintains the philosophy that being more active can positively affect most people’s lives. He says that he has more energy and less fatigue than before, and he credits his active lifestyle.

Getting started wasn’t easy. Brumley began as his wife’s triathlon training partner, and he trained to the best of his ability. When he ultimately finished the race he felt liberated. “I accomplished something instead of feeling like I was constantly being knocked down.”

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Featured image sourced from The Active Times