From Endometriosis Struggles to Sporting Triumph.

Cycling Paris Olympics 2024

Posted 3 months ago

From Endometriosis Struggles to Sporting Triumph.

Elinor Barker once faced so much pain from illness that she nearly quit cycling. Now, she's made Welsh sporting history.

Elinor Barker has set a record as the Welsh woman with the most Olympic medals, earning her fourth in the madison event on Friday, where she claimed silver with Neah Evans.

At 29, Barker has won medals in three consecutive Olympic Games: gold in Rio 2016, silver in Tokyo 2021, and bronze in Paris.

She has battled endometriosis, a painful condition where tissue similar to the womb's lining grows elsewhere, often undiagnosed for years.

Barker won gold in Rio despite her condition being undiagnosed at the time and has since undergone surgery to alleviate her symptoms. Once in too much pain to ride a bike, she now feels fortunate compared to others with the same condition.