I'm David Blanco, a 59 year-old semi-retired school teacher, cross-country running and ski coach, and news reporter and editor for community radio and national news services.

​

​ In 1990, I was diagnosed with an irritable bowel condition which after years of evaluation turned out to be Crohn's disease, an autoimmune disease which causes the immune system to attack the inner lining of the digestive tract as if it were a foreign body. Surgical procedures to remove the diseased portions of my intestines have left me with 3 feet of my intestinal tract, about 5% of normal. I now have to ingest 4,500-6,000 calories per day just to maintain my body weight. I'm fortunate to be alive today. 

​

​At the lowest point in my life, on March 15, 2006, I discovered yoga. Since then, I have practiced daily, and I believe that it--along with careful monitoring of my diet--is responsible for the complete turn-around of my body's health. My latest quest is to pursue my lifelong dream of hiking the entire Pacific Crest Trail from its southern end at the Mexico-California border to its northern boundary in British Columbia.

​

With the help of the Crohn’s and Colitis Foundation, I hope to raise funds for medical research for all inflammatory bowel diseases so that those afflicted may one day be free to live better and healthier lives. It is my wish that no one ever have to go through the incredible pain and losses I have endured over the last 25 years. My story is one truly filled with hope!