Peter Boyd was only 25, very fit and getting on with life when illness hit. With a degree in leisure centre management, he was seriously into sport as well as working full-time as a barman when chronic fatigue and joint pain kicked in.

“I was diagnosed with fibromyalgia in 2011 and with rheumatoid arthritis in 2012,” he says.

“Initially, I had put the fatigue down to working long hours and training hard, and the pain down to getting knocks at football practice. When it got to the stage of not being able to lift crates of beer and almost falling asleep in work, I knew something was seriously wrong. Since the diagnoses I’ve learned a lot about how important exercise is if you have arthritis or fibromyalgia. That’s why I’m delighted to be involved with Arthritis Ireland’s first ever micro triathlon.”

WORST FORM OF EXERCISE IS NO EXERCISE AT ALL

For some people, this 3km walk/run, 3km cycle and three lengths of a pool/30 minute aqua aerobic class may be the equivalent of a marathon, but Peter says he would like to encourage everyone to try, based on his own experience.

“The difficulty is that when a person is diagnosed they tend to stop exercising. That’s what I did too, because I was so terrified of making things worse for myself,” he says.

“When that happens, however, you may start putting on weight. For every pound of weight you put on, you’re putting on four pounds of pressure on your joints, so keeping weight under control or losing it if necessary is very important.

“It sounds weird, but the stiffer and sorer you are, the better it is if you go out and do something, whether it’s a walk, cycle or swim. The worst form of exercise is no exercise at all. Exercise, combined with medication and treatment, will improve the situation for you. Keeping as active as possible is the message we’re trying to get out. If you do the micro triathlon you will have a huge sense of accomplishment when you finish.”

Peter is looking forward to meeting the micro triathlon target.

“Aiming for it is giving me a boost and encouraging me to step up what I’m doing a little bit. I would be a fairly regular exerciser. I lead a walk on Wednesday mornings in Balbriggan and have my own exercise bike at home, but it’s good to have a goal to aim for. Exercise can feel like a chore at times, so having a goal to aim for is good. The micro triathlon is not competitive, but it is something for a person to complete and feel a sense of achievement about afterwards.

“Family members of those with arthritis can get involved too – anyone actually who wants to become more active in the next few months.”

ILLNESS MADE ME MORE GROUNDED PERSON

While being diagnosed with fibromyalgia was difficult for Peter, being told that he had rheumatoid arthritis was much worse.

“I didn’t take the news well initially,” he says. “It took a long time to process and learn about what I was going through, and will go through, and I have had my struggles.

“I haven’t been able to be in paid employment since all this kicked off, and that knocks your confidence and leaves you without all those little bits of accomplishment you get from being in work and out and about meeting people. You can feel very isolated when you have something like rheumatoid arthritis, but I had a good support network around me, which is great. Learning from people in a similar boat and being offered a different perspective through Arthritis Ireland has helped as well. Now I help out on the helpline and enjoy talking to those who ring.

“Illness comes out of the blue and you don’t expect it or understand it, but I think it’s made me into a more grounded or rounded person. Everyone has issues to deal with, whether it’s family or health or financial. What I have is not the worst thing in the world, but not the greatest either. It’s just what I have to deal with.

“I didn’t come round to this point of view quickly, but I am there now. In all honesty, I think it’s made me a better person. I’ve had to reassess what’s important and I’ve learned a lot about myself. I wouldn’t wish it on anybody, but you can find a silver lining in it if you want to, as tough as it has been for a few years.”

Give it a TRI Micro Triathlon

With obesity now a serious problem in Ireland, Arthritis Ireland is encouraging everyone to take more exercise. Arthritis Ireland’s philosophy is: “Moving is The Best Medicine”, and the micro triathlon event has stemmed from this. The event takes place on 10 and 11 October 2015, at various locations around the country. Registration costs €30 for a team and €15 for an individual entry. For more information, log on to read more here The event is being supported by RTÉ’s John Murray.

“This is a fantastic idea,” says John. “Ireland has to reverse the ticking timebomb of obesity and the micro triathlon is the ideal goal to help us achieve that.”

Arthritis Ireland is a registered charity dedicated to helping people with arthritis.