about me

I have swam since I was 3, I started competing when I was 8 and have loved it ever since. I managed to compete up to Regional level when I was younger, and now National level at BUCS.

​

When I was a kid, I wanted to do anything and everything, I don't even know how my parents coped with the amount of after-school activities and clubs that me and my brother used to partake in. 

I did gymnastics, obviously swimming, karate, brownies, tennis, football, cricket, athletics, rounders, basketball; anything sporty you could count me there. 

​

Finally, I started to concentrate on my two favourite sports; swimming and hockey. At one point I was training 5-7 times a week for swimming and playing hockey 3-5 times a week.

​

I remember my first symptom of Thoracic Outlet Syndrome so vividly; I was racing 200m freestyle at my club's championships, attempting to get a good enough time to send me to regionals that year. On the 6th length (it was a 25m pool) I lost the feelings in both my hands, the only way I could describe it at the time was like my hands were covered in dough. I felt like there was a force field around both my hands stopping me from feeling anything. It was fair to say that I panicked, I full on had a meltdown and my friends had to pick me up out of the pool.

​

2  years later, after a lot of testing and a lot of pain and confusion, I was diagnosed with Thoracic Outlet Syndrome; compression of the nerves, arteries and veins in the lower neck/armpit. Then in 2012, when I was 15, I had surgery to remove my first rib, on my left hand side to relieve the compression.

​

I ended up quitting swimming after my operation, unfortunately the operaton didn't really solve my condition, it definitely helped and it is no where near as bad as when I was 14. Swimming seemed to be the main cause of my pain, plus with GCSE's and A-levels coming up, I couldn't afford to go into hospital again.

​

I carried on playing hockey and managed to play for the Birmingham Lynx Regional Squad in my last few years of playing after my surgery. Turns out a winter sport, in British weather isn't the best for Thoracic Outlet Syndrome either, so after a season playing for the university 3rd team and multiple trips to the hospital, I gave up hockey too. 

​

My mental health rapidly deteriorated from there, I was living far away from home and didn't feel strong enough mentally or physically to even attempt a new sport/hobby. I felt lost, stressed and alone, like my Thoracic Outlet Syndrome had destroyed my life, this was truly the darkest year of my life so far. 

​

My second year of University changed everything for me, I had the best support around me and I made the huge decision to get back into swimming. This is the best decision I have ever made, I got to understand my body and T.O.S, how far I can push myself, my mental health got better and better, and I met some of my best friends at this amazing university club. 

​

There has been a lot of ups and downs since then, I've now graduated from University and am in a Graduate Scheme where I work Monday-Friday 9-5 (with the occasional night shift added in for good measure). 

​

So yeah, my life has changed a lot, and with that comes challenges. With this blog I will do some writing about successes, facts and figures, challenges, downfalls of my life so far. Also some tips on how to cope with life after a sports injury, how to understand your body and general care.

 

When I found out I had T.O.S, I didn't know anyone else with this condition and there was nothing on the internet. I felt so alone, and to this day have not met anyone else with T.O.S. I'm hoping this blog finds the girl that my consultant has picked up, I hope she finds hope and that she knows that she is not alone.