NoDayButToday
New member
I read this today in a book of presidential facts I have (it was actually a Uncle John's Bathroom Reader Plunges Into the Presidency book, but its listed as a nonfiction/historical book), and after I read it, I wondered if Teddy Roosevelt could have possibly had a mild case of CF. That would be interesting in its own way, but I was especially intrigued since I live in his former hunting lodge-- it would be cool and slightly weird to live in a CFer before myselfs home! Anyway, here's the article to judge for yourself. It's long, but give it a read!
Teddy Roosevelt may have never had sand kicked in his face at the beach, but his weakling status seemed a sure bet during his childhood. Few would have guessed that this future president would be remembered as the solid, robust guy who led the Rough Riders, trekked through the Wild West and never met a physical challenge he did not want to embrace. His reputation for bravery would have been impossible to predict because "Teedie" started out as a small and sickly boy. How small and sickly was he? Well, no one thought he would live past his fourth birthday, much less go on to become president.
As a young child, Teedie struggled with asthma, endless coughs, colds, nausea, fevers and nervous diarrhea, which he described at the age of three as 'a toothache in my stomach'. All these illnesses led to insomnia and malnutrition. He was so weak and ill that for much of his childhood, he couldn't even attend school. Teedie had to learn at home with a steady stream of tutors to satisfy his active and intensely curious mind which was bound by his puny frame.
At times he rarely felt well for more than ten days straight and was forced to spend many subsequent days in bed. On the Roosevelt family's lengthy trip to Europe in 1869, he was plagued by breathing problems and extended headaches. He wrote in his diary about attacks of gastroenteritis, toothaches and asthma. Yet between it all he displayed amazing energy, running from one sight to another, hiking, biking and soaking up the world until his poor health would flare up again.
A doctor who examined him around age twelve recommended fresh air and exercise. He made it clear to the Roosevelts that if Teddy did not act on this advice the development of his strained and battered lungs was in serious danger. His influential and constantly busy father also worried his son was too pale and too thin. Coupled with the advice of the doctor, Theodore Sr. at that point told Teddy, "You have the mind but you have not the body and without the help of the body the mind cannot go as far as it should. You must make your body." And with that, Teddy embarked on a personal training regimen that would forever transform him in mind and body.
Taking advantage of his family's considerable wealth, his father transformed their family home's second floor into a posh home gym, outfitting it with state of the art exercise equipment of all kinds. It was there that Teddy began to spend his free time to develop the physique and personal discipline that would later make him famous. In that gym Roosevelt bench pressed and pushed and lifted and stretched and followed routines that would make any current body builder proud. He was dedicated and consistent. And he saw good results. His muscles grew, his chest expanded and he got healthier.
But even that was not enough. After two solid years of body building, his asthma could still lay him low. So Roosevelt decided to take up boxing. He knew he wanted to go to Harvard and needed to be able to compete both academically and physically with America's finest young men. So he continued working out, and boxed regularly with his brothers and others.
Finally, by the age of 17, Roosevelt beat the weakling within. In 1875, he competed against his borthers and cousins in fifteen athletic contests. Teddy won all but one! He had completely transformed himself; he went from wimpy to wonderful. His thin frame was no longer weak; it was strong, wiry and muscular. In the process he had developed an iron self discipline for which he was known as an adult.
The article then has a section about how this discipline helped him as president. I thought it was pretty interesting, and would be interested in what others think.
Teddy Roosevelt may have never had sand kicked in his face at the beach, but his weakling status seemed a sure bet during his childhood. Few would have guessed that this future president would be remembered as the solid, robust guy who led the Rough Riders, trekked through the Wild West and never met a physical challenge he did not want to embrace. His reputation for bravery would have been impossible to predict because "Teedie" started out as a small and sickly boy. How small and sickly was he? Well, no one thought he would live past his fourth birthday, much less go on to become president.
As a young child, Teedie struggled with asthma, endless coughs, colds, nausea, fevers and nervous diarrhea, which he described at the age of three as 'a toothache in my stomach'. All these illnesses led to insomnia and malnutrition. He was so weak and ill that for much of his childhood, he couldn't even attend school. Teedie had to learn at home with a steady stream of tutors to satisfy his active and intensely curious mind which was bound by his puny frame.
At times he rarely felt well for more than ten days straight and was forced to spend many subsequent days in bed. On the Roosevelt family's lengthy trip to Europe in 1869, he was plagued by breathing problems and extended headaches. He wrote in his diary about attacks of gastroenteritis, toothaches and asthma. Yet between it all he displayed amazing energy, running from one sight to another, hiking, biking and soaking up the world until his poor health would flare up again.
A doctor who examined him around age twelve recommended fresh air and exercise. He made it clear to the Roosevelts that if Teddy did not act on this advice the development of his strained and battered lungs was in serious danger. His influential and constantly busy father also worried his son was too pale and too thin. Coupled with the advice of the doctor, Theodore Sr. at that point told Teddy, "You have the mind but you have not the body and without the help of the body the mind cannot go as far as it should. You must make your body." And with that, Teddy embarked on a personal training regimen that would forever transform him in mind and body.
Taking advantage of his family's considerable wealth, his father transformed their family home's second floor into a posh home gym, outfitting it with state of the art exercise equipment of all kinds. It was there that Teddy began to spend his free time to develop the physique and personal discipline that would later make him famous. In that gym Roosevelt bench pressed and pushed and lifted and stretched and followed routines that would make any current body builder proud. He was dedicated and consistent. And he saw good results. His muscles grew, his chest expanded and he got healthier.
But even that was not enough. After two solid years of body building, his asthma could still lay him low. So Roosevelt decided to take up boxing. He knew he wanted to go to Harvard and needed to be able to compete both academically and physically with America's finest young men. So he continued working out, and boxed regularly with his brothers and others.
Finally, by the age of 17, Roosevelt beat the weakling within. In 1875, he competed against his borthers and cousins in fifteen athletic contests. Teddy won all but one! He had completely transformed himself; he went from wimpy to wonderful. His thin frame was no longer weak; it was strong, wiry and muscular. In the process he had developed an iron self discipline for which he was known as an adult.
The article then has a section about how this discipline helped him as president. I thought it was pretty interesting, and would be interested in what others think.