Local Woman Overcomes Severe Asthma to Climb Columbus Tower

Columbus resident Katina Fitch struggled with asthma her whole life, until new medications became available to help get her disease under control. Now, she is climbing Rhodes Tower to fund more asthma research and show people that asthma doesn’t need to hold you back.

Fitch has had asthma her whole life. Her earliest memory of a severe asthma attack was when her family was moving into a new house. The previous owners had cats, which triggered an asthma attack.

“As we were moving in, I stopped breathing because I am severely allergic to cats,” said Fitch. “It was scary. As a family, we ended up in the emergency room. I remember being in the emergency room for much of my childhood.”

When Fitch was young, there weren’t many asthma specialists available to provide management options for her disease, so it was managed by trips to the hospital and a nebulizer. Then when Fitch was in junior high, an asthma specialist came to their town and the doctor helped her with ways better manage her disease. Today, she has her asthma under control.

When Fitch first moved to Columbus for work, she searched for ways to get involved and found the Fight For Air Climb at Rhodes Tower.

“The Fight For Air Climb was really different and climbing stairs sounded challenging. I recruited some of my co-workers and ever since then, it is something I do every year,” she said.

On February 15, Fitch will participate in her fifth Fight For Air Climb event in Columbus.

“The Fight For Air Climb is important to me because it raises awareness about asthma and provides support for people with asthma. I like that my participation helps with medication and support for other kids and adults with asthma,” she said. “It is also important for me to show that I am asthmatic and I can do this.”

The Fight For Air Climb, set for February 15, 2020, invites individuals, families, groups of friends, corporate teams and first responders to race up the stairs of Rhodes Tower, a total of 40 floors, 880 steps. To learn more about the Fight For Air Climb at Rhodes Tower, visit FightForAirClimb.org/Columbus.