Former Olympian Beth Dobbin Battles Debilitating Chronic Fatigue Syndrome

Beth Dobbin, a 32-year-old former Olympic sprinter for Great Britain, is now largely confined to her bed, spending approximately 22 hours a day battling myalgic encephalomyelitis (ME), also known as chronic fatigue syndrome. This debilitating illness has drastically altered her life since her appearance in the 200 meters at the Tokyo Olympics just five years ago.

ME is a long-term, incurable illness that severely impacts individuals' ability to exert themselves physically and mentally, according to the CDC. Dobbin described the feeling as her body "shutting down" and stated that even simple activities like talking for 30 minutes can lead to a severe "crash" lasting from 24 hours to months.

"I feel like I’ve lost everything. I have still got my family, but I’ve lost my independence, my health, the ability to work, the ability to exercise," Dobbin told BBC Sport. She now only leaves her bed for essential needs like eating or using the bathroom.

Dobbin's health issues began after contracting COVID-19 and glandular infections in quick succession in 2021-2022, which she attributed to a condensed athletic season. She experienced symptoms such as restlessness, dizziness, and a loss of feeling in her legs, which affected her performance on the track.

After consulting with multiple specialists who identified her condition as ME, Dobbin acknowledged the frustration of having a disease with no current cure. She noted that the emergence of long COVID, which shares symptoms with ME, has brought increased attention to the illness. Approximately 400,000 people in the United Kingdom and an estimated 3.3 million in the U.S. are believed to have ME.

Dobbin expressed a sense of duty to speak out about her experience, believing that athletes are often more readily believed than the general public. She recounted that many individuals suffering from ME report not being believed, with others assuming they are simply lazy. "I’ve got a slight platform. If this happened to most people they wouldn’t be able to speak about it, so I do feel like I’ve got a bit of a duty to do that," she stated.