Long jumper Malaika Mihambo suffered from the long-term effects of a corona infection until the end of October.
“I had underestimated Post Covid. This disease is deceptive,” Mihambo told the magazine “star“. Her alveoli were inflamed for months and her body had to survive with less oxygen than usual.
“I quickly became exhausted, and my blood and thyroid values didn’t look good. I had hormonal difficulties and my bleeding levels changed,” said Mihambo. “It was particularly bitter for me as an athlete: I could no longer control some muscle groups as well as I used to. I lacked sensitivity in my legs.”
Despite the long-term effects of a corona infection in June, Mihambo competed at the Summer Olympics in Paris. “Of course the thought comes to mind: six weeks ago I was still in great shape, and now post-Covid is making me tired and restricting me in my everyday life and my life as an athlete. You certainly feel a feeling of injustice,” said Mihambo the “star”. But she was able to shake off such thoughts. “I learned that there is no point in waging an internal war against myself.”
Mihambo transported away in a wheelchair
The former Olympic champion won silver in Paris. After the lap of honor, she had to be pushed out of the stadium in a wheelchair after struggling to breathe. “Maybe these pictures were needed because Post Covid is an invisible disease that is difficult for outsiders to understand,” said Mihambo. “The pictures that showed me in a wheelchair changed that for a moment. That’s when many people realized: Corona and its consequences are still a big issue, to this day.”
After the Summer Games, the 30-year-old athlete suspended her training for several months and completed rehabilitation in Carinthia. “During the coughing attacks, I often just gasped for air,” said Mihambo. In Austria I learned to use my breathing muscles properly again.”