Olympic silver medalist swimmer Sharon Davis is 61 years old and has had nine knee surgeries, but says she can still “drop down and do 40 push-ups.”
Davis, who was selected to represent the Montreal Olympics at just 11 years old, retired in 1994 after breaking more than 200 British records in pool competitions, but fitness remains a big part of her life, especially as she gets older. continues to occupy a large portion.
“I have a 25-year-old daughter who is a former international track and field athlete, and I can still beat her in core training. I’m really good at core stability and core exercise. “I can still beat my 17-year-old son who plays rugby,” she says.
Davis, who famously held the Commonwealth Games record in the 400m individual medley event for 18 years, goes to the gym four times a week and now rides her bike and goes for walks. I’m not really into exercise,” she says. She used to do 6 hours a day, but now she doesn’t do 6 hours a week. ”
Her competitive sporting career (she won a silver medal at the 1980 Moscow Olympics and was twice Commonwealth Champion), starred in the original series of Gladiators as Amazon, and is currently a patron of Disabled Sport England and SportsAid. It’s simple to exercise because you’re active. A part of who she is.
“It’s always been a part of my life. It’s been 50 years now since I was an international at the age of 11. That’s who I am. It happens almost automatically.”
But staying active is especially important given the problems she’s had with her right knee for years. Her first injury was when she was 12 years old, when her foot got stuck in a hole and tore her anterior cruciate ligament. Thankfully, she is a swimmer (a non-weight bearing sport) so it didn’t affect her ability to train or compete.
“Then in 1995, I was playing Gladiator, and a very nice female police officer, very apologetically, pulled my knee to the side and whatever was left in my anterior cruciate ligament just disappeared. Ta.”
Davis underwent anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction that year and nine additional surgeries since then. “There’s no cartilage left in that knee at all. It’s just bone on bone,” said Davis, who was diagnosed with grade 4 osteoarthritis in her knee about 10 years ago. To tell.
“last [operation] Seven years ago, some of the really bad cartilage that was left flew off and into my joints, making it impossible for me to straighten my legs. And it was incredibly painful. ”
“I would just sit there at night and watch TV while rubbing my knee. It got to the point where I was doing it unconsciously all the time because it would swell and hurt. [the pain]”. It hurt even when I wore tight jeans.
Then, in September 2022, she received a treatment called arsulosamide, a one-injection pain relief for knee osteoarthritis. Although it does not cure symptoms, patients can expect improved mobility and reduced pain within a few weeks. Mr Davies, who is an ambassador for the jab, said: “You can literally get in right away and be done by lunchtime, so there’s no downtime.” “After about a week or 10 days, I think, ‘I’m not rubbing my feet.’ The pain relief has been incredible.” And she hasn’t had to refill yet.
“Suddenly I realized I was more mobile than before. I had to reel myself back in because all of a sudden there was no pain and I was able to move three times as much. So I had to [say to myself] Calm down. “
She says she will eventually need a total knee replacement. “My knees aren’t very attractive,” she laughed. My right knee looks nothing like my left knee. It’s almost twice the size.
“If you go and see [a doctor] Now they look at my pictures and ask, “How do you walk?” They don’t go, what about cycling? How do you go to the gym? ” Davis believes it is important to maintain the muscles around the joints through mobility and fitness.
It wasn’t just parts of her body that she underwent surgery on. Over the years, she has had her ribs fractured, two broken arms, hernia surgery, bladder surgery, and multiple back and shoulder surgeries (professional swimmers often suffer from lower back problems and shoulder surgeries). (often causes over-rotation). “oh my god [I’ve had] dozens. I broke my bones in 7 or 8 places. I broke his leg a while back and fell off my bike and badly broke his femur.
“I can pick myself up and just keep going!” she says with a laugh. However, her body’s resilience is thanks to all the training she does in the gym. “When she broke her leg, she was back on the stationary bike within six days.”
She doesn’t swim now. “Because today is a bus driver’s day off for me. I’ve been doing six hours a day for 20 years of my life, which is enough for anyone. I’ll do it on my days off, but in the end it’s different. It’s better to do things like that.” He added, “As a swimmer, my shoulder isn’t very good, so I don’t like to make it worse.”
Staying healthy “isn’t as easy at 60 as it was at 40. It’s not as easy at 40 as it was at 20. Unfortunately, it’s a straight line heading in the wrong direction.” There are many things you can do to protect yourself.
“I’m hearing more and more people say, ‘My metabolism has slowed down.’ Yes, it’s not that my metabolism has slowed down, it’s that I’ve lost muscle mass. It’s muscle mass that burns calories. Without muscle, you burn calories.” is not consumed.”
She also says, “I definitely feel sad if I don’t exercise, I definitely exercise.” She takes HRT, multivitamins, vitamin D, and cod liver oil for menopausal symptoms, but when it comes to her health, A positive mental attitude is key.
“I’m a big believer that your cup is half full,” she says, and positivity comes naturally.
“Why not? I’m an Olympian.”
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