Olympian Denise Lewis on conquering irritable bowel

The day Denise Lewis won gold at Sydney was one of the best days of her life, but she admits to our Saga Magazine that two other events are up there too - meeting the Obamas at the White House, and receiving her damehood from Princess Anne.

“It still catches me off guard when people call me Dame Denise,” she says. “I think, ‘Hang on, is that me? I’m Denise from the West Midlands’.”

Living with a debilitating health condition

Lewis won heptathlon gold for the UK in 2000, but she revealed it wasn’t just her competitors she was battling – all her life she’s suffered from crippling irritable bowel syndrome.

“Even at the top of my athletics career it was really bad and I’d frequently have to excuse myself early in training sessions to find the loo,” she said.

“Things came to a head in 2022 when the ducts in my gallbladder blocked and I needed a stent operation. I also got an infection which led to sepsis.”

She’s finally got the condition under control by taking Symprove, a product that helps IBS sufferers by colonising the gut with healthy bacteria.

“I’ve been clear of the condition ever since. It’s a game changer,” she says.

Her 50th birthday celebrations

When Lewis turned 50 last year, she celebrated in style.

“I was determined to mark being 50 in as many weird and wonderful ways as possible,” she says. “I went on The Masked Dancer dressed as Sea Slug and had a huge party, with a big old 5-0 cake.

“I wanted everyone to know I was 50. I wore a pink minidress and danced the whole night in heels.”