SYDNEY - Two-time Olympic gold medallist, Madison Maree Wilson, revealed on Monday that she's been hospitalised with Covid-19.
The Australian swimmer, who won gold in the 4x100 freestyle at the 2016 Rio Olympics and 2020 Tokyo Olympics, announced on Instagram that she's ‘extremely disappointed and upset not to be racing alongside (her) teammates’ in an International Swimming League (ISL) competition.
‘It’s been a crazy, few months and I believe being run down − physically and mentally − may have made me more susceptible,’ Madi wrote. ‘I feel extremely unlucky, but I do believe this is a huge wake-up call.’
‘Covid is a serious thing and when it comes, it hits very hard. I'd be stupid to say I wasn't scared.’
Describing her hospitalisation as ‘precautionary’ as she's ‘double-vaccinated’, Madi wrote in subsequent Instagram stories that she has ‘underlying chest and lung issues’ and believes that receiving the vaccine prevented her case from being worse.
‘Mostly, I just wanted to jump on and continue to encourage people to get vaccinated,’ Madi said. ‘I did end up in hospital, but that is a precautionary (thing) because I do have underlying chest and lung issues.
‘(The vaccine) protected the people around me, who I've been close to over this last period of time, and I am so grateful for that because I would not want anyone else in this situation. I truly believe it reduced what happened to me and what could happen to me.’
The 27-year-old athlete, who has competed internationally for Australia since 2012, has also won silver in the 4x100 medley (Rio) and bronze in the 4x200 freestyle (Tokyo) as well as three gold medals in the FINA World Aquatics Championships. – Agencies, September 22, 2021
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