A RunSickboyRun News Story Teaser

The full story is set to launch tomorrow, but I figured I'd have you guys read the teaser...

Patient launches worldwide web hub for "cystas" and "fibros"

Ronnie Sharpe stares ahead as he runs, his breaths shallow and his pace slow. He sweats heavily and coughs so hard that ribs protrude from his thick torso. Frequently, he spits out mouthfuls of phlegm.

The 29-year-old Tucson native obsessively looks at the sports watch clocking his 30-minute goal. Gavin DeGraw’s “Free” plays on his iPod. He hates to run, absolutely loathes it. But he forces himself to do it at least three times a week.

Sharpe, a Catalina High School and University of Arizona graduate, has cystic fibrosis — a genetic disease that affects the lungs and digestive system, and kills half of the people who have it by the age of 37. There’s no cure and Sharpe already has lost several friends to the disease.

He’s garnered national attention recently, having won a contest sponsored by a vitamin company titled, “Fuel Your Greatness,” that asked entrants for inspiring stories. He wrote about his running. A 50-day hospital stay earlier this year inspired the running fixation and a blog called “RunSickBoyRun,” which now gets an average 300 unique viewers per day from all around the world.

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