'I felt like I might die': Plymouth diver Tom Daley reveals secret battle with coronavirus
The Olympic gold medallist ended up in hospital after catching Covid-19 back in January
Plymouth diver Tom Daley has described how he was hospitalised with Covid-19 just seven months before winning gold at the Tokyo Olympics.
The 27-year-old suffered from headaches, dizziness, a fever and breathlessness after catching coronavirus in January.
Speaking to The Times Daley said: "Every time I stood up, I felt the room spinning and a blinding white light, as if I was going to faint, and as if I couldn't get enough oxygen into my body.
"My husband, Lance, had to help me down the stairs and to the bathroom.
"As I went to bed that night, I was nervous. I even checked that Lance would know what he needed to do if I stopped breathing. I honestly felt like I might die."
When Tom's symptoms got worse, a paramedic was sent out to him and he ended up in hospital.
There, chest x-rays revealed blotches on his lungs.
The diver, who did not reveal his coronavirus diagnosis to his sporting co-stars, said he still feels a lingering 5% reduction in his cardiovascular fitness thanks to the virus.
"I would consider myself to be quite a healthy person, but COVID doesn't discriminate at all", he said.
Despite it being months before Tom was able to resume training, he went on to win gold in the men's 10m synchronised platform with Matty Lee and bronze in the men's 10m individual.