Any professional rider with only one lung?

[TeoSheva]

I've a friend quite young that had a very bad accident during a cycling race (it was during the last Giro, and even Cassani, Savoldelli and all the other guys from RAI talk about him...) and after some days on the border line he won the most important race of his life and now is again able not only to talk about cycling but even to ride a bike.
Unfortunately he lost a lung, and he doesn't know at which level he can come back to rice: do you know any professional rider with only one lung? or something similar to a professional rider...

thanks in advance for yuor help, my friend desn't speak really well in english so he asked me to open this topic in this forum (even if my English is not so good too )

 

[Master50]

I have a friend that lost a lung in a motorcycle accident. He runs and he says pretty close to the same level. It seems the remaining lung grows larger than a single lung and replaces some of the original capacity.
Can't say if this means he could compete at an elite level but it should be encouraging.

 

[TeoSheva]

I have a friend that lost a lung in a motorcycle accident. He runs and he says pretty close to the same level. It seems the remaining lung grows larger than a single lung and replaces some of the original capacity.
Can't say if this means he could compete at an elite level but it should be encouraging.

thanks a lot! this is really encouraging

 

[RedheadDane]

You can lose a lung?
Thought that would kill you!

 

[Master50]

You can lose a lung?
Thought that would kill you!

A lot of injuries that would cause the loss of a lung might definitely kill you but my friend only has one and he is definitely alive.

 

[mewmewmew13]

Amazing thread. The body does some intense stuff to function as close to normalcy as possible I guess. wow

Glad both your friends are doing well.
...and TeoSheva your English is awesome.

 

[TeoSheva]

Amazing thread. The body does some intense stuff to function as close to normalcy as possible I guess. wow

Glad both your friends are doing well.
...and TeoSheva your English is awesome.

thank you

 

[Izzy eviel]

Can he receive a lung transplant?

I'd be surprised if he can't at least ride for fun and he'll have to take it from there.

Would he be eligible for the paralympics?

 

[TeoSheva]

Can he receive a lung transplant?

I'd be surprised if he can't at least ride for fun and he'll have to take it from there.

Would he be eligible for the paralympics?

I don't kno if a lung transpant is possible, but it's defintely not required.
For sure he can ride for fun, and he's already back on the bike, but his dream is to come back at his previous level.

Good question regarding the paralympics, I will try to get more information about this...

 

[Tom375]

There was quite a famous rider that did well with one ball..
Anyway hope you're friend can recover to a standard of competitiveness he's happy with.

 

[movingtarget]

You can lose a lung?
Thought that would kill you!

Plenty of people have good quality of life with one kidney but in sports you would think one lung would be tough to compete with. Interesting story.

 

[usedtobefast]

Plenty of people have good quality of life with one kidney but in sports you would think one lung would be tough to compete with. Interesting story.

yes it is. you hope for the best. good on your friend.

 

[Aapjes]

Can he receive a lung transplant?

Transplants are pretty horrible. You have to take immune depressants for the rests of your life, or more accurately, until the transplanted organ fails.

It's probably better to train hard to increase the lung volume of the remaining lung. But I expect it will take a long time for the lung to adapt (years?).