I'm interviewing Maddy Warren, 22 years on dialysis and marathon runner

I heard about Maddy Warren on the Home Dialysis Central Facebook group. I was amazed at how someone on dialysis can run a marathon. Sandeep, my NephroPlus Co-founder had told me to join him in the Hyderabad marathon a few years back but I refused outright. It was unthinkable. Running or even walking 42 km was physically just not possible for me.

And yet, here she was. Madeleine Warren from the UK who ran the London Marathon in 2018 to celebrate her twenty years on dialysis. How cool is that?

When I read more about her, I realised that there were many similarities between both of us. Both us got diagnosed with kidney disease around 1997. Both us were on Peritoneal Dialysis for about five years. Both of us got a kidney transplant from our parents (she from her father, me from my mother). Both transplants did not work. Both of us switched to Daily Nocturnal Home Hemodialysis. Both of us do six nights a week. She does about six hours each night. I do about seven and a half.

That's where the similarities end though.

While my physical activity is limited to a half hour swim and another half hour of strength training each day, Maddy ran a marathon, has completed more than three hundred sky dives, has walked about 90 miles along London's Thames river, has climbed the highest mountain in the UK and two other mountains, goes horse riding, loves skiing and so on. Plus the dedicated hours of training she puts in to be able to stay fit to be able to do all this.

Make no mistake. Staying this fit is a rarity among dialysis patients. Kidney failure messes up the body's biochemistry. Maddy is very clear. It is her long hours on the dialysis machine that enable her to do all this. 

I believe there is one more ingredient in this. Her positive attitude. There are many who do her kind of dialysis. Yours truly included. But for the rest of us, this level of physical activity is not conceivable in the least. Maddy is the best example I know of the mind ruling over the body.

I got in touch with Maddy a few weeks back requesting to interview her for Indian dialysis patients and thankfully, she agreed. The event is scheduled on Monday, the 23rd of November at 4:30 PM India time and 11 AM UK time. Do join me at NephroPlus's Facebook Page.



Here are 3 videos where Maddy talks about her life and her fitness routine:



Comments

Anonymous said…
Hi Sir,

Totally agree that all dialysis patients should focus on physical activity.
I myself, am a 25 year old, dialysis patient, getting dialysed thrice a week 4 hrs at a hospital, since the last 1 year and 9 months.
I myself never did much of physical activity since I started dialysis, which led to massive weight loss and thinning of my arms.
Around 20 days back I have started exercising around 15 mins daily, and I already feel good.
Would love to hear your thoughts and any exercise routine that you could recommend

- Chirag, follower of this blog
Kamal D Shah said…
Great Chirag. I am so glad you are doing some exercise. Remember, start slowly and gradually increase. Apart from aerobic exercise like walking ,swimming, running etc. definitely add strength training to your routine. Here is a post from this blog that talks about this: http://www.kamaldshah.com/2018/06/the-importance-of-strength-training-on.html

Where do you stay?
Chirag Lakhaney said…
Hi Sir,

Firstly, I saw your interview with Maddy Warren, and what an inspiration she is, thanks for doing that interview, otherwise I would never know about such an inspiring woman.

Secondly, thanks for sharing the link of your blog on strength training, I found the exercise guide by 'life options advisory council' very useful, infact i have started using some of thier exercises in my routine.

Also, I stay in Mumbai, near Mumbai Central Station. Why do you ask sir?

- Chirag
Chirag Lakhaney said…
Hi Sir,

Firstly, I saw your interview with Maddy Warren, and what an inspiration she is, thanks for doing that interview, otherwise I would never know about such an inspiring woman.

Secondly, thanks for sharing the link of your blog on strength training, I found the exercise guide by 'life options advisory council' very useful, infact i have started using some of thier exercises in my routine.

Also, I stay in Mumbai, near Mumbai Central Station. Why do you ask sir?

- Chirag
Kamal D Shah said…
Hi Chirag

Good to know that you started strength training. I just asked casually. No specific reason. Take care.