Austin said he hopes to go to medical school after college and someday specialize in pulmonary medicine. “For one thing, I spend a lot of time in the doctor’s office,” he joked. “I’ve been so affected by EIB, I want to help others. I know what they’re going through.”

Heidi said she and her son would look forward to flying to Los Angeles and meeting Ohno, but their greater hope is that their participation in the EIBAllstars.com awareness campaign will help others with EIB to stay physically active.

Members of the public can vote for candidates in the “National EIB All Stars contest” at EIBAllstars.com between now and May 10.