Health and Sport – Former Wellington cricketer to compete in Ironman for charity

Former Wellington Firebird batsman Josh Brodie has hit asthma for six – now he’s swapping his bat for a bike to compete in the Ironman to raise money for charity.

In just over four months, on March 2 2024, Josh will compete in the Taupō Ironman which involves a 4km swim, 180km bike, and a 42km marathon run.

His goal is to complete this in under 11 hours and raise $50,000 for the Asthma and Respiratory Foundation NZ at the same time.

In preparation for the big race, he will also compete in a Half Ironman in Melbourne this Sunday (November 12) and a Half Ironman in Taupō on December 9.

35-year-old Brodie has lived with asthma his whole life and was no stranger to A&E as a child.

“I remember running into my mum and dad’s room, panicked, shaking them awake because I couldn’t breathe. It’s a feeling I’ll never forget. It was scary, but that was, sadly, the reality of a Brodie winter.”

But Brodie is proof you can live with a respiratory condition and still achieve your biggest dreams, he says.

“From 8 years old, my goal was to be a professional cricketer and I got there.

“From where I was, to be able to live that dream, I’m super proud of myself and I have a great sense of accomplishment.

“My biggest motivation came from the doctors telling me, ‘Oh you can’t do this, you can’t do that’ and I said ‘But I want to play cricket when I grow up’, and they said ‘You won’t be able to do that – your lungs aren’t good enough’.”

Brodie hopes that sharing his story and setting himself this challenge will not only raise money for a good cause, but will also help raise awareness of respiratory illnesses in New Zealand.

“If I can inspire just one kid with asthma to continue to chase their dreams then it’s all worth it.”

Besides the health scares, there can sometimes be a stigma associated with having asthma as a child. When Brodie was growing up, he recalls hiding his inhalers and using them in secret – especially at school, he says.

“It wasn’t cool so I would always hide taking my inhaler where my fri