Iron Queen

Iron Queen won't be ruled by CF

Repeat Ironman champion Lisa Bentley is proof cystic fibrosis can't choke a love of athletics, writes JAMES CHRISTIE

By JAMES CHRISTIE

Globe and Mail, Tuesday, June 14, 2005 Page A19

In the 1960s, any child born with cystic fibrosis arrived under a cloud of doom. CF was infamous as a disease that stole the lives of the young, often in infancy, surely before adulthood.

Thick, gluey mucous coated the insides of their lungs and digestive system, leaving them breathless and unable to absorb nutrition unless accompanied by a handful of enzyme pills. Desperate parents were not inclined to let sickly little ones get involved in physical activities.

Fortunately for Lisa Bentley, no one told her. The 35-year-old professional athlete from Caledon, Ont., captured her fourth consecutive Ironman Australia triathlon title in April. This is in addition to Ms. Bentley's two Ironman Canada championships, two Ironman New Zealand crowns, four top-six finishes in the Ironman world championships -- and a case of cystic fibrosis.

At 35, Ms. Bentley is now the median age for those surviving with CF. Though there is still no cure, research has continued to extend life expectancy, as have the positive effects of physical activity, the Iron Queen says.

"To start with, mine is a mild case of CF, but it wasn't diagnosed until I was 20," she said in an interview. "I never knew. As a kid, I had terrible allergies. I was sick and I was often on antibiotics. Our parents would take us south to get us away from whatever we felt was causing the allergies, put us in the salt water and we'd get back healthy," she says.

"But because no one diagnosed CF, I was never held back from playing. I really started to run in university [Waterloo], taking it up mainly because I wanted to meet people."

About this time, Ms. Bentley recalls, her older sister was unwell and coughing up blood. Doctors sent her for tests and, "for a long shot, he sent her for a sweat chloride test," a key CF indicator. Not only did her sister's test come back positive, but follow-ups disclosed three of the four Bentley siblings, including Lisa, had the condition.

About one in 2,500 children born in Canada has CF, the most common fatal genetic condition affecting young Canadians. To be born with CF, both parents must be carriers. One in 25 Caucasians carries the defective gene -- the vast majority are symptomless carriers. CF is much less common in other ethnic groups.

"I was in university and thought I was invincible and I was going to continue doing whatever I did." But the condition did make Ms. Bentley vulnerable. When she graduated and taught math and computer studies, she inevitably picked up viruses from sneezing students.

"Whenever I got a chest infection, I had to go and visit the hospital and was on a regime of antibiotics. In 1995, preparing for the Pan American Games in Argentina [where Canada took a team gold in triathlon], I couldn't make it around the track without coughing or spitting up."

As uncomfortable as that sounds, the vigorous activity was important in managing her condition. "Exercise is good for everyone, but for CF people it seems especially important," says Cathleen Morrison, chief executive officer of the Canadian Cystic Fibrosis Foundation. "Canadian investigators were responsible for identifying the defective gene, and they were among the first to recognize that exercise leads to better lung function. Survival has improved since the 1970s, when exercise began to be encouraged because it helps mobilize the lung secretions and requires deeper breaths."

The Ironman triathlon is a demanding, nine-hour ordeal: an open water swim of 3.8 kilometres, bike ride of 180 km, and a marathon run of 42.2 km. Ms. Bentley, who is coached by Lance Watson, the same man who guided Olympic gold medalist Simon Whitfield, has a gruelling daily regimen to prepare for competitions: a 75-minute workout in the pool, a bike ride of two to five hours, and a run of 30 to 90 minutes.

Being able to win international competitions, in spite of her medical handicap, has made Ms. Bentley an inspiration. Locally, she shows up to boost the Kids of Steel program run by former Olympic coach Barrie Shepley in Caledon, Ont.

Internationally, her story inspired a New Zealand mother, Tracey Richardson, to bring her two children with CF to a championship race in New Zealand to meet Ms. Bentley. As a family, they took to heart the message that having CF is a call to action more than a death sentence.

Ms. Richardson trained, lost 55 pounds and took part in the Hawaii Ironman last year, raising money through her website, breath4CF.com, to fight the disease.

"It put things into perspective for me, too. I was wanting to win but feeling sick and sorry for myself. And I said [to myself], there's people dying of this disease or getting lung transplants and you can't worry about one day," says Ms. Bentley.

FITNESS PROFILE

Who: Lisa Bentley, 35.

Currently: Professional triathlete with eight championships at Ironman competitions.

Previously: Math and computer teacher whose cystic fibrosis left her prone to infections.

Goal: Encourage others with CF.

I came to the realization I have more than a sport -- I have a cause.