How Does A World Champion Come Back After A Severe Lyme Infection?

Jenna Smith — Tue, 25 Aug 2009 20:17:51 +0000

Who is Samantha Stosur?

Ranked By WTA as #1 in the world for doubles tennis (with Lisa Raymond) in 2006, Samantha (Sam) fell off the tennis circuit to determine what had happened to her strength and energy. The devastating diagnosis of Lyme disease changed her life completely. Her partner wrote the following account in 2007:

A year ago this week, my doubles partner, Samantha Stosur, was half of the No. 1 doubles team in the world. We had just won our ninth tournament of the year, heading into Madrid as the defending champions. We would go on defend our title, ending what would be an impressive year that included the French Open title and the Doubles Team of the Year award.

One year later, Sam sits in her apartment in Tampa, Fla., her home away from home during the long tennis season, amazed at how things can change on a dime. She hasn’t seen a gym in almost a month, sleeps 10 hours a night and gets winded walking around the grocery store.

She hasn’t picked up a racket since flying home in September from the U.S. Open. That following morning, she was taken to the emergency room after suffering from intense headaches. She would spend the next few nights in the hospital, as the staff ran tests to figure out what was wrong. The first bit of news she received was that she had contracted viral meningitis, a diagnosis that would lead to a month of medicine and lots of rest.

But she didn’t feel any better. She underwent more tests, which uncovered more troubling news: Sam had Lyme disease. One of the fittest players on tour, Stosur went from playing tennis four hours a day, followed by grueling gym workouts, to staying in her apartment and struggling to find the strength to make herself breakfast each morning.

For the next six weeks, Sam had to receive a new round of antibiotics through an IV, twice daily, which she had to administer herself. There would be no exercise, no sweating, nothing that would cause fatigue. This world-class athlete went from being on top of the world to the mercy of doctors and nurses in the blink of an eye.

How did she do it?

Here’s what she has to say about disease, recovery, motivation and more according to an interview she gave to Carry Barker in “Never Say Diet”

NSD: When did you notice something wasn’t right in your body?
At Wimbledon two years ago, I was coming to the trainers with a different issue everyday, but nobody knew what was wrong. Finally, when I got meningitis, the doctors discovered Lyme disease.

NSD: How did you feel when you received the diagnosis?
It was pretty hard because it was during the season. I had to call my [doubles] partner and say sorry. I really didn’t like letting someone else down. Going home to be with family and friends made the coping process easier. The whole time I tried to say positive and believe that everything was going to be okay even though I wasn’t sure.

NSD: How did Lyme disease change your life?
I’ve been doing fine for over a year and I’m not worried about relapsing. Now, I am much more aware of how I’m feeling. I try to be cautious about not overtraining. Sometimes I tell myself, “Okay, you need a break.” The whole experience has made me a lot smarter about my body. I think getting to know my body better has definitely helped my game.

NSD: What did you do to prepare for playing again?
Once I got the okay, I took it pretty slow for a few weeks, then bumped it up a little bit at a time. I was nervous. There was so much unknown about how my body would react to training and traveling.

NSD: Does the match-time pressure get to you?
I don’t want to look at playing a big match like it’s any different than a first round. I try to treat them all the same. I focus on the situation at hand and eliminate all the other places where my mind might take me.

NSD: How do you stay motivated?
I think everyone has those days when they just don’t feel like getting going. For me, I keep the bigger picture in mind about what I want to achieve. I’m lucky to have a trainer who knows how to adjust for flat day. It helps me to think of something fun [workouts].

NSD: How did you build a relationship with your trainer?
I started working with my trainer four years ago when I felt ready to get fitter and stronger. Now we’ve gotten to be good friends. I think having a close relationship is very important. She knows my body and can build a good program for me.

NSD: What is your favorite non-tennis workout?
Last year I bought a mountain bike, that’s lots of fun. I like variety in my workouts, so every training session I have is different. Some days we’ll go out the dunes and run sand sprints. Even though it seems horrible at the time, I always feel good about my accomplishment once I get to the top of the hill.

Jenna's Lyme Blog » Sam Stosur

How Does A World Champion Come Back After A Severe Lyme Infection?