Marathoner shares progress battling dystonia, grateful for regained ability to jog slowly after four-year struggle

[OSEN=Kim Na-yeon Reporter] Marathoner Lee Bong-ju shared an update on his battle with a rare disease.

On the 13th, the 'Insaeng84' channel uploaded a video titled "Gi-an84 and Lee Bong-ju."

In the video, Lee Bong-ju, who has been battling dystonia for four years, appeared as a guest and went running with Gi-an84. When asked, "Have you fully recovered your health?" he explained, "Running fast is a bit difficult, but jogging slowly is okay." Gi-an84 asked curiously, "How long does it take you to run 10 km now?" Lee Bong-ju replied, "It fluctuates around 50 minutes." Gi-an84 then said in surprise, "You just run slowly?" and added, "I can finish in about 48 minutes if I push myself," drawing laughter.

Later, the two started a 5 km run together. Gi-an84 said excitedly, "The day I run with you has finally come. It's an honor. I'm glad I started running." Lee Bong-ju responded, "I never thought I'd run with you. I've only seen you on TV," and added, "It takes extraordinary courage for someone who never exercised to challenge a marathon."

Gi-an84 shared, "I never expected this either. As I kept running, my mileage gradually increased. I used to run 100 km a month, then 150 km last month." He then asked, "When you were unwell, I heard you talked a lot on broadcasts about wanting to run 10 km freely."

Lee Bong-ju replied, "At that time, I thought I'd never run again. But I've improved a lot since then. Thankfully, I feel like I'm living a second life now." When asked about his recent activities, he said, "I give special lectures at companies and schools." Regarding interest in nurturing athletes, he said, "If I get another chance, I'll try to train athletes."

Gi-an84 asked, "Do you remember your longest run since recovering?" Lee Bong-ju explained, "It was in January this year. I ran 12 km in a marathon in Japan, finishing in over 1 hour and 10 minutes." He added, "I shouldn't crave records now. Just being able to run is a blessing." When asked if he still enjoys running, he said, "Running is the happiest time for me."

He continued, "When I was an athlete, it was a job with stress, but now it's purely enjoyable, regardless of winning or losing." During the run, Lee Bong-ju showed signs of lower back discomfort. Gi-an84 worried, "Is your back bothering you?" Lee Bong-ju said, "Sometimes my back hurts." Gi-an84 suggested, "Let's slow down. Do you feel pain while running? What are the symptoms?" Lee Bong-ju explained, "It feels like my body is sinking. I'm not 100% recovered, so I exercise cautiously."

The two finished 5.4 km in 30 minutes. Gi-an84 exclaimed, "You could probably run a full course!" Lee Bong-ju laughed and said, "No, I shouldn't push myself."

After the run, Gi-an84 asked, "How are you feeling since your recovery?" Lee Bong-ju explained, "The past four years were agonizing. I was still unwell until early last year but started recovering in the latter half of last year." He added, "When I was sick, my wish was to run for just 30 minutes. Now that I can run, I'm happy." When asked if he could run a full course next year, he said, "If I prepare well until the end of this year, I might try next year."

Gi-an84 noted, "You seem eager to get back in shape." Lee Bong-ju replied, "I want to run a full course again." Gi-an84 said, "If you run, I want to join you," and Lee Bong-ju agreed, "Exactly. Finishing together would be a great picture." Gi-an84 added, "We'll set it up properly," fueling anticipation.

Lee Bong-ju Jogs, Not Fully Recovered After Rare Disease