Teen with debilitating digestive disease conquers 13.1 miles for Crohn's disease & ulcerative colitis

NEW YORK, March 17, 2015 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ --Sixteen years old, bald, and beautiful, Chayla may look like she has cancer, but she doesn't. Chayla is one of the 1.6 million Americans living with an inflammatory bowel disease (IBD).

"Even though l lost my hair, have missed over 3 months of my junior year of high school, and have been stuck in the hospital for nearly two months, I am trying to keep a smile on my face. I haven't felt well in 10 months. I almost forget what it feels like to feel normal. But I know this isn't forever. I am a fighter and I will not lose this battle," Chayla says.

Chayla was diagnosed with ulcerative colitis when she was just eight months old. She lives every day with the debilitating symptoms associated with IBD. However, that hasn't stopped her from running three half-marathons and raising $14,000 through the Crohn's & Colitis Foundation of America's (CCFA) Team Challenge endurance training program.

"I've spent the majority of my life hiding in the shadow of my disease, not understanding what was going on with me and not seeking support for dealing with it," says Chayla. "It wasn't until two years ago that I fully realized there was something 'wrong' with me. That same year I discovered Team Challenge and proved to myself that, even with debilitating stomach pain, inflammation, and discomfort, I could run 13.1 miles. Team Challenge helped me come to terms with being sick and inspired me to keep fighting, not only for myself but for all those living with these chronic diseases."

Through Team Challenge, participants train with local coaches for a half marathon, triathlon, or cycle event over 16 weeks while raising critical funds to support patients living with these chronic autoimmune diseases. In exchange, participants receive an expenses-paid weekend to a great destination race.

"Chayla's story is the reason that Team Challenge exists. Team Challenge provides participants with an opportunity to bring awareness to these rarely discussed diseases and raise critical funds for research, education, and support for all those affected by inflammatory bowel diseases," says Craig Comins, Vice President, Team Challenge. "At the same time, Team Challenge empowers people to train for something that, for many, they never imagined they'd be able to do- complete an endurance event. It is inspiring to see a group of people come together, some who have these diseases and some who do not, united in the mission of finding a cure for Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis."

Team Challenge is now recruiting participants for its summer races. This season, Team Challenge will be participating in:

Falling under the IBD umbrella, Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis are painful, medically incurable diseases that attack the digestive system. Crohn's disease may attack anywhere along the digestive tract, while ulcerative colitis inflames only the large intestine (colon). Symptoms may include abdominal pain, persistent diarrhea, rectal bleeding, fever, weight loss and fatigue.

For more information about Team Challenge, visit http://www.ccteamchallenge.org.

About Team ChallengeTeam Challenge is the Crohn's & Colitis Foundation of America's endurance training and fundraising program. Through Team Challenge, you can run or walk 13.1 miles or train for a triathlon at one of our great destination races while helping to find a cure for Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis, two chronic and often debilitating digestive diseases that impact 1.6 million Americans.

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Teen with debilitating digestive disease conquers 13.1 miles for Crohn's disease & ulcerative colitis