Olympic star tells of meningitis ordeal
OLYMPIC gold medallist Sarah Ayton MBE has revealed how a battle with meningitis almost shattered her dreams of becoming a sporting star.
The 28-year-old, who sailed to fame at the Athens and Beijing Games, was in a coma for three days after being struck down by the devastating bug when she was 15.
Doctors warned she was close to death when the deadly meningococcal septicaemia strain of the disease took hold in 1995.
Sarah - one of the celebrated "three blondes in a boat" - is telling her story for the first time to coincide with becoming a patron for Meningitis UK.
She has also donated her designer wedding dress to the charity in a bid to raise vital funds for its Search 4 a Vaccine Campaign.
She hopes her support will raise awareness of the disease's symptoms and the need to find a vaccine to eradicate it.
The Yngling champion, who lives in Weymouth, said: "I had been sailing in Warsash, in Hampshire, when I developed the most awful headache. I was soon being sick and felt dreadful.
"As the sailing event was away from home my friend's mother was looking after me and thankfully she decided to take me to the doctor. He spotted the symptoms straight away and diagnosed meningitis. I remember him giving me an injection of antibiotics, which I now know probably saved my life."
Sarah was sent straight to St Mary's Hospital in Portsmouth. She was unconscious by the time she arrived and a rash caused by septicaemia, a form of blood poisoning, soon developed.
Her family were told to prepare for the worst while she lay in a coma for three days.
Around 20 per cent of meningococcal septicaemia cases result in death and hundreds of people are left disabled by the disease each year.
But Sarah pulled through and was back sailing just two weeks later.
She added: "I realise I was lucky. Because the meningitis was caught in time I've suffered no after-effects and have been able to go on to achieve my dreams.
"It was a very scary experience, which is why I am supporting Meningitis UK and its Search 4 a Vaccine Campaign. It's so important to find a vaccine to protect people from this devastating disease and to stop future heartache.
"Hopefully my involvement will not only raise awareness of the symptoms but also help to eradicate meningitis completely."
Sarah sailed to glory in Beijing last summer before tying the knot with fellow Olympian, windsurfer Nick Dempsey.
Her beautiful dress, designed by Ian Stuart and featured in Hello magazine, is being auctioned on the BuyOnceGiveTwice website to raise money for the charity's Search 4 a Vaccine Campaign, which aims to raise £7million to fund vital research into developing a vaccine against Meningitis B - the most common form of meningitis in the UK, for there is still no vaccine.
Kate Rowland, Head of Development at Meningitis UK, said: "It is fantastic that Sarah has agreed to be a patron of Meningitis UK. Her support really means a lot to us and we hope it will help highlight the importance of finding this vaccine to eradicate meningitis. We are confident that with enough support and persistent research, we can put a stop to this awful disease."
To find out more about Meningitis UK or to support the charity's Search 4 a Vaccine Campaign, call 0117 373 7373 or visit www.meningitisUK.org. To bid on Sarah's wedding dress, visit http://www.buyoncegivetwice.co.uk/lots/sarah-aytons-wedding-dress.
MeningitisUK · Registered Charity No.1076774
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