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Danielle Brandon: “I Had an Asthma Attack in the First Half of the Swim. I Was Considering Pulling Out.”

October 20, 2021 by
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Since bursting on the scene at the 2019 CrossFit Games, Danielle Brandon has shown the potential to be one of the top up-and-coming stars of the sport. She has competed in the last three Games placing in the top-15 in all three appearances. 

This past year she placed 11th despite facing many obstacles on and off the competition floor that her fellow athletes did not.

The Morning Chalk Up was able to sit down with Brandon and discuss some of the challenges she faced, particularly one that almost ended her 2021 Games..

How she almost withdrew from the Games after the first event:

  • Brandon disclosed that she suffers from asthma and that she had pretty much had the respiratory disease under control during her competitive career until the Games.
  • “Not until the Games this year. On that swim. Which I didn’t realize but I was talking to my doctor and she said the shock of the water, because it’s so much colder than here in Vegas, she said the shock of the water caused me to have an asthma attack.”
  • “That was super shitty because I was so emotional about Kari (Pearce) and the first swim event which I was so ready to crush it because I’m a great swimmer and I was really excited to finally swim at the Games.”
  • “Then I had an asthma attack the first half of the swim, and I was considering pulling out.”

We also discuss some of the other challenges she faced due to her being isolated and competing with the fear of her Games ending due to COVID-19, her fellow athletes rallying around her during the 550-yard sprint, her favorite event and least favorite event at the Games and her upcoming off-season competition plans.

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