First-year runner Devon Mundy competing with autoimmune disease

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Photo by Eva Ou

Devon Mundy, second-year environmental and geomatics student at Wilfrid Laurier Universityย  and middle-distance runner, has faced one of the biggest challenges in his career so far on and off the track: living with an autoimmune disease.

As a competitive runner in high school, Mundy experienced health issues early on in his adolescence when he was 14-years old. Originally diagnosed with enthesitis-related arthritis, he went through a failed series of different medications, none of which provided any relief for his symptoms.

Two years ago, Mundy was diagnosed with Crohn’s disease.

Commonly difficult to diagnose, Crohnโ€™s is an autoimmune disorder that affects the gastrointestinal tract and causes inflammation that is painful and can be difficult to control โ€” even with the assistance of medicine.

For Mundy, athletics are an essential part of disease management and controlling the symptoms that affect him.

โ€œTrack was huge for me. I always found that when I was more physical, everything was more manageable. Mentally speaking, physically speaking, it was just so much easier,โ€ Mundy said.

Mundy was unable to participate in track last year due to a knee injury โ€” and the lack of physical activity he was able to engage in was something that directly impacted his overall well-being.

โ€œIt really got to me โ€” my illness. I had an acute flare-up for several weeks on end [and] it was just awful. It took a toll on me academically, mentally … and ever since this school year started and I could compete again, itโ€™s been wonderful just being able to get out there,โ€ Mundy said.

Since he got back into track, the problems he was experiencing before lessened significantly.

โ€œItโ€™s been great for my body, my mind โ€ฆ Iโ€™ve just been more in control of my disease,โ€ he said.

As he has done with athletics, Mundy has proven that itโ€™s possible to persevere and succeed despite the complications of an illness.

Running has had an incredibly positive impact on his health. Mundy has managed to stay optimistic and driven because of the benefits that it provides him.

However, being an athlete with an autoimmune disease isnโ€™t without its own set of challenges and setbacks.

โ€œNot many people really understand what autoimmune diseases really do to your body โ€” where itโ€™s like the greatest thing youโ€™re ever going to face, is facing yourself. Itโ€™s really frustrating when every day could go a little differently. I could go out one day and do amazing,โ€ Mundy said.

โ€œAnd then the day after that, I could be standing at the finish line throwing up my guts, almost in tears because of the pain.โ€

โ€œIt does take some time to recover from everything. You see your teammates, you work just as hard as them, but youโ€™re not making as much progress, you canโ€™t put on as much weight and muscle โ€” and training is different for sure,โ€ he said.

Mundy has seen the toll that Crohnโ€™s and other autoimmune diseases can have on different people, and itโ€™s helped push him to stay motivated, even when things can feel disheartening.

โ€œIt motivates me to [think] I can do this and I should do this because some people canโ€™t and Iโ€™d love to do it for them,โ€ Mundy said.

Mundy doesnโ€™t want people to pity or feel sorry for him. He just wants to provide a voice for those who may be struggling with similar health issues, especially โ€œinvisibleโ€ diseases โ€” diseases that are not immediately apparent to other people โ€” and show that they are working just as hard as everyone else.

As he has done with athletics, Mundy has proven that itโ€™s possible to persevere and succeed despite the complications of an illness.

โ€œI just want people to understand what individuals go through with something like an autoimmune disease and how hard it is for some people. No one really sees what theyโ€™re going through and understands it.โ€


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