| CBI Interview | Danica Patrick
The Indy and NASCAR star works out to win on the track and works hard to combat COPD, the nation’s fourth-leading cause of death
By Chris Mann
CBI: Most people are familiar with your accomplishments as a driver, model, television personality, and corporate spokesperson … but few are aware that you’re also the official ambassador for the Drive4COPD campaign, which, among other things, screens people for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD)—the disease that killed your grandmother 10 years ago.
DANICA PATRICK: This is an issue that’s very important to me, and, as you point out, for very personal reasons. COPD, a progressive lung disease, is a very under- diagnosed condition. If it’s not treated, you lose lung function. That’s why this campaign is so important—so people will become aware of the signs and symptoms. People go on for quite a while, I think, ignoring the fact that they’re coughing up phlegm or getting out of breath doing normal things, because they’re thinking, ‘I’m just getting old or getting out of shape,’ or ‘I’m not as healthy as I should be.’ If you catch it early, you can start to take care of it, slow its progression, and live a pretty normal life.”
CBI: What does it mean to you to be spreading the word about COPD awareness, and to have seen such promising results in the last year?
DP: It’s very encouraging—and very needed. It, unfortunately, took this long to get to this point. Many people didn’t learn about this disease until this campaign started. Even though I’ve been affected directly, I’m still learning about it. It’s an eye-opening campaign. The fact that COPD is the nation’s fourth-leading cause of death, killing more people than diabetes and breast cancer combined, really makes you stop and take notice. With this disease, you get to the point where you can’t easily do things on your own, because you can’t move anywhere if you’re not able to breathe normally. My grandma was on oxygen 24 hours a day and in a wheelchair wherever she went. So it’s a 24-hour-a-day program. Her condition was also hard on my dad—it really hurt him to see his mom like that. The disease takes a toll on people other than the individual who’s sick.
CBI: This campaign has provided a real awakening. Since 2010, the initiative—through NASCAR races, other live events, and
Drive4COPD.com —has screened more than 1 million people potentially at risk for the disease. What do you think your grandmother would make of your efforts?
DP: I have no doubt that she’d be proud. If she were still here and able to see me do something like this, she’d also be sad, because she’d realize she could have done something earlier to slow the progression of her COPD. I’m sure she can still see and hear what I’m doing and, in fact, is proud of me. And that’s okay. A lot of people have expressed their appreciation for this campaign. So many individuals have similar stories to tell. Unfortunately, it’s generally a story that’s not told until it’s too late.
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ihrsa.org |
Highlights » Drive4COPD campaign » Racetrack regimen » Off-road maintenance » A message for girls
Danica Sue Patrick, 29, began racing go-karts with her sister when she was 10, and dropped out of high school to pursue a profes- sional racing career. In 2005, she became the fourth woman to race in the Indianapolis 500; she was the first woman to lead the Indy 500 pack, and her fourth- place finish was the best ever for a female driver. A regular attraction since then on the IndyCar circuit, she’s also competed in the NASCAR Nationwide Series. Patrick has enjoyed success as a model, actress, and television celebrity, and served as a spokesperson for, among others, Tissot watches, Bell Helmets,
GoDaddy.com, and 7-Eleven. She has been named Female Athlete of the Year by the U.S. Sports Academy, the Kids Choice Award’s favorite female athlete, and Victoria Secret’s sexiest athlete. Her husband, Paul Edward Hospenthal, is a physical therapist and personal trainer. The couple reside in Scottsdale, Arizona. —|
DECEMBER 2011 | Club Business Internat ional 37
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