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Paul O’Connell - BSc, Dip Ed, MBA, MBIBH Curriculum Vitae Paul O’Connell suffered from asthma for over 25 years having first been diagnosed with it at the age of five in the 1960’s. After using various early medications, Paul was given ventolin for the first time at the age of 10. Despite getting good symptomatic relief from this drug, Paul was soon also prescribed several other medications including becotide and intal. Despite these drugs, the asthma continued to get worse, resulting in two hospitalisations as a 15 year old. From there it was progression to nebulisers and oral steroids and still further deterioration. Needless to say all the asthma and medication severely restricted Paul’s lifestyle – particularly the capacity to play sports to the expected level, and also in terms of the ability and confidence to undertake other activities. After trying many other health options over the following years with little improvement in asthma, Paul first saw Buteyko featured on a television current affairs program in Australia in early 1994. This resulted in him learning the Buteyko Method from Alexander Stalmatski (who brought the Buteyko Method from Russia to Australia in 1990) in Melbourne and subsequently eliminating the need for asthma medications. Realising what a significant breakthrough in health management Buteyko provided, Paul made contact with several major Australian health authorities, politicians and the media in regard to having Buteyko clinically trailed and introduced into Australian health care management. This proved an interesting experience, as there seemed to be very little knowledge of the method or interest in it within these groups and people. Paul then decided that the best way to progress the formal introduction of the Buteyko Method in Australia was to train as a Buteyko Practitioner, teach the method, and to establish a professional organisation to provide information to the public and health professionals and organisations. With a background in science, education and business management, Paul felt he had a lot to offer in regard to this work. He subsequently trained as a Buteyko Practitioner under Stalmatski and began teaching Buteyko at the end of 1994. This has since involved teaching the Buteyko Institute Method in Australia, the United Kingdom, the United States, and more recently Cuba . He has been featured in newspaper articles in Australia and the United Kingdom, given numerous radio interviews, been interviewed on national television and been featured in published books. With a now staggering 40% of Australian school age children suffering from asthma, Paul regularly conducts Buteyko courses for both adults and children. Paul has been endorsed by the BIBH as a Buteyko Practitioner Trainer and has successfully trained over 40 other Buteyko Practitioners. As a founding member and the original Executive Secretary of the Buteyko Institute of Breathing and Health (BIBH), Paul played a key role in establishing the BIBH. He was appointed as the Chief Executive Officer in July 2000 and has been actively involved in several projects on behalf of the BIBH including:
This involved training 14 Health and Education Professionals as Buteyko Practitioners and teaching the Buteyko Method to 240 individuals for their own health. Paul O’Connell is also the editor of Buteyko Update –
The Asthma Management Newsletter, which has been published regularly
since 1996. |
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