A Thor lookalike who became superfit to help fight his cystic fibrosis says he can laugh properly for the first time EVER - after trying a "life-changing" medication.<br /><br />Ben Mudge, 31, was born with the lung condition, which would cause him to cough constantly due to excess mucus.<br /><br />He began weight training in his teenage years in order to improve his health - and was soon was likened to Thor, Marvel's hammer-wielding god played by Chris Hemsworth.<br /><br />Ben then became buff personal trainer and even gained a following of others with cystic fibrosis, who were inspired by him.<br /><br />But he believed until recently that he was as healthy as he would ever be - before trying a new medication in November which was "life-changing" for him.<br /><br />He said he can now breathe, speak, and laugh without coughing - and it feels like he is living "a dream".<br /><br />Ben, from Newtownabbey, Belfast, said: "I didn't expect a significant change, but within hours of taking the medication, I noticed the difference.<br /><br />"I took a deep breath and I started to cry - I never realised what breathing should feel like!<br /><br />"I used to cough all the time - all day long, even more whenever I laughed and whenever I trained - and now I can't remember the last time I did.<br /><br />"Now I can laugh without having to think about it - it's so surreal.<br /><br />"Before, it felt like I had this shadow behind me and now I've been unshackled."
