Kirsty Parsons will line up at Ironman New Zealand in Taupō on March 7, aiming to become the first New Zealand woman with cystic fibrosis to complete the iconic endurance event. Photo / Grace Lowry
Kirsty Parsons will line up at Ironman New Zealand in Taupō on March 7, aiming to become the first New Zealand woman with cystic fibrosis to complete the iconic endurance event. Photo / Grace Lowry
Taupō woman Kirsty Parsons lived with the debilitating effects of cystic fibrosis for years until she gained access to the “life-changing” drug Trikafta. Now, the 32-year-old is aiming to become the first known New Zealand woman with cystic fibrosis to complete an Ironman in Taupō.
Kirsty Parsons used to spendthe first half hour of every morning “coughing non-stop”.
She was frequently hospitalised, struggled to walk to and from the supermarket, and her lung function was 40% to 50%.
“It was pretty uncomfortable, and my quality of life wasn’t great.”
Cystic fibrosis is a condition that produces thick and sticky mucus and mainly affects the lungs and digestive system.
There is no cure for the condition, which affects about 500 New Zealanders, but Trikafta treats its underlying cause and makes it more manageable.
Before the drug, her health was “getting pretty bad pretty fast”.
“I was in my early 20s, so there was lots of living I wanted to do and keeping up with all my friends. I was just living life the most I could, but obviously that took a toll on my health.”
She said Cystic Fibrosis New Zealand (CFNZ) was the charity sponsor of Ironman New Zealand when she was younger.
As a teenager, athlete Patrick Bristowe was her “Ironman buddy”, and she ran down the finish chute alongside him.
Watching Ironman as a child was “quite an inspiration”, she said.
Kirsty Parsons is training 12 hours per week, sometimes more, for the Ironman New Zealand race in Taupō on March 7. Photo / Grace Lowry
Completing it would prove she had “all the capabilities of a normal healthy person and I’m not limited by CF”.
“It would be really cool to … motivate other young kids with CF to stay healthy, and that they can totally have these goals.”
Parsons said she was training about 12 hours per week, sometimes more.
In the past month, she had swum 16km, cycled 640km, and run 83km.
As a Taupō local, she felt fortunate to train on the course.
Parsons said it would mean “a lot” to her to cross the finish line, but it may “almost mean more” to the family and friends who supported her throughout her cystic fibrosis journey.
“Mum and Dad were so supportive growing up, and it took a huge toll on them.”
Her mother had since died, “but for Dad to see me do this would be a huge achievement for him and make him really proud”.
Her brother, Duncan Parsons, would be racing alongside her.
Parsons was using her Ironman campaign to fundraise for CFNZ.
Kirsty Parsons has been taking Trikafta since 2018. Photo / Grace Lowry
She was almost halfway to her goal of raising $10,000, and was considering increasing it to $20,000.
She acknowledged CFNZ’s work and advocacy in getting Trikafta funded, and the support it gave people with cystic fibrosis and their families.
CFNZ executive lead Simone Brown said that adults in the cystic fibrosis community continued to push boundaries and set incredibly high bars for achievement.
“It not only demonstrates the strength and resilience of living with cystic fibrosis but shines a bright light on the potential life and future that our younger generations can look forward to and be inspired by.”
She said they would be cheering Parsons on “all the way to the finish line”.
“This is such an exciting moment for our community.”
