IBS put painful hurdles in way of hero Denise

OLYMPIC legend Dame Denise Lewis had a glittering career as a heptathlete, winning a gold medal in 2000 – but spent much of it in terrible pain

- MARGARET HUSSEY

She often had to leave training with cramps due to her irritable bowel syndrome.

Denise, 50, says: “I’ve suffered since my teens. I was 19 when I had my first episode.

“Out of nowhere I started to feel cramping in my stomach. I was literally doubled over on the floor in the foetal position.

“Thankfully I don’t remember it affecting me at competitions, but it was definitely an issue in training. I would have severe bowel movements, which meant I’d have to excuse myself for half an hour.”

Denise wrote food diaries and took intolerance tests, recalling: “The things that were supposed to trigger me were garlic, onion and coffee.

“I would have been very conscientious about my diet. I was very well-hydrated and still I had symptoms.

“It’s been a constant factor in my life. I have been on the floor on cold tiles with the sweat just pouring out of me because of the pain.