THE world saw her as an Olympic gold medallist who thrashed her competitors on the track.
In reality, Dame Denise Lewis was battling an excruciatingly painful health condition that left her “sweating in agony”.
SplashDame Denise Lewis said she suffered with painful irritable bowel syndrome symptoms for 30 years[/caption]
EPAThe heptathlete celebrating winning gold in Sydney, Australia, in 2000[/caption]
She suffered in silence for 30 years before finally seeking a solution.
The heptathlete has irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) – a condition that affects the digestive system.
It causes symptoms like stomach cramps, bloating, diarrhoea and constipation, and sadly there’s no cure.
In the throes of her struggle, Dame Denise, who won gold at Sydney in 2000, regularly found herself rushing to the toilet during training sessions.
She even spent hours doubled over on the floor, “delirious with pain”.
The 50-year-old said: “For over 30 years, throughout my career as an athlete, I was struggling in silence with chronic pain as a result of IBS.
“I couldn’t finish my food, I felt uncomfortably full and bloated, and subsequently experienced excruciating pain.”
Dame Denise, from the West Midlands, had her first flare-up aged 19.
Since then, she has kept food diaries, taken intolerance tests and cut certain things out of her diet – but she kept having the same problems.
Miraculously, her IBS never impacted her at competitions, but it was a real problem when training for them.
The mum-of-four, now a TV presenter, said: “Some days I’d have to leave the track because my stomach wasn’t feeling right.
“I’d be sweating in agony and just accepted that it was my fate.”
Speaking to The Mirror last month, the sportswoman, who was awarded a Damehood in King Charles’ first Honours List and received her gong at Windsor Castle in June, added: “It’s been a constant factor in my life.
“I’ve been on the floor on cold tiles with the sweat just pouring out of me because of the pain.
“There’s this knotting sensation which intensifies and at its peak, I would be almost delirious with pain.
“I would have severe bowel movements which meant I’d have to excuse myself, exit the track for maybe half an hour.
“Obviously by then you have cooled down, so you have to re-warm up.
“And I had many evenings when I was going to charity functions or awards ceremonies and dreading it.
“I knew that I was going to struggle during my meal as I may get a cramping episode at the table and have to excuse myself.”
I’d have to leave the track because my stomach wasn’t feeling right. I’d be sweating in agony.
Dame Denise Lewis
It took until only a few years ago for the Team GB star to get her symptoms under control.
She credits a change in diet, shift in mindset and a water-based probiotic called Symprove she takes before breakfast.
Dame Denise, married to music manager and property developer Steve Finan O’Connor, said: “Learning about gut health has really been a game changer for me.
“It’s something I am continuously working to be educated on.
“It’s important to be disciplined when it comes to your health and wellbeing.
“The little shot of Symprove I take every morning reminds me of my life as an athlete, when it comes to building a good routine.”
An estimated 13million people suffer from IBS in the UK, and it’s nearly twice as common in women than in men.
A new report released today revealed a third of women with the condition were misdiagnosed before finally discovering they had IBS.
The research, by gut health supplement brand Symprove, also found more than three quarters of women with the condition say it impacts their mental health, and almost nine in 10 think there needs to be better education on how to manage it.
GettyDame Denise attends the Wimbledon Tennis Championships on July 11, 2023[/caption]
GettyThe sportswoman in action in the long jump at the 2000 Summer Olympics[/caption]
Getty Images – GettyDame Denise celebrates her gold medal[/caption]
What is irritable bowel syndrome (IBS)?
IRRITABLE bowel syndrome (IBS) is a common condition that affects the digestive system.
It causes symptoms like:
Stomach cramps
Bloating
Diarrhoea
Constipation
Farting
Passing mucus from your bottom
Tiredness and a lack of energy
Feeling sick
Backache
Problems peeing (needing to go more often, sudden urges, feeling like you cannot fully empty your bladder)
Bowel incontinence
These tend to come and go over time, and can last for days, weeks or months at a time.
There is no official test, so a doctor will ask you about your symptoms and may also feel your tummy to check for lumps or swelling.
IBS is usually a lifelong problem. It can be very frustrating to live with and can have a big impact on your everyday life.
While there is no cure, diet and lifestyle changes, as well as medicines, can often help control the symptoms.
This might involve cooking homemade meals with fresh ingredients, keeping a food diary, avoiding alcohol and fizzy drinks, getting plenty of exercise, and trying probiotics.
Source: NHS