Monaco resident Paula Radcliffe is in the news again, this time thanks to her backing for Asda Pharmacy’s campaign to encourage asthma suffers to get the flu jab, which is free of charge for this at-risk group. She has personal experience of the problem.
“I was diagnosed with asthma when I was 14 years-old,” Paula said, “and it’s really important to me to encourage people to control and work with their asthma in the best possible way to protect themselves and their health. Asda Pharmacy did some research that found 1.2 million asthma sufferers put their lives at risk each year because they don’t get the flu vaccine. They don’t realise they’re part of an ‘at risk’ group so they can get it for free, or are just scared of getting a vaccination. If an asthma sufferer gets flu, it’s more likely to develop into things like pneumonia, pleurisy, bronchitis or other lung infections, so their immune system is going to be knocked for the rest of the winter.”
Paula, renowned for her modesty, is philosophical about the fact that her marathon world record fell last month to the Kenyan runner Brigid Kosgei. She said that she knew this would happen eventually, but at this point she doesn’t think it possible she could reclaim the record.
Paula is in great demand as a commentator for marathons around the world, which means a lot of travel. But nothing beats a cold glass of rose on the beach, she told the UK’s Guardian.
She says that she has a lot of friends in Monaco, and her children were born in the Principality. And with Brexit happening, she is quite happy to call Monte-Carlo her home.
ORIGINAL SOURCES: The Guardian, Metro, Asda, local reports PHOTO: Paula Radcliffe
