BREAKING: Strictly’s Sarah Storey opens up on chronic syndrome after ‘four years of hell’
Strictly Come Dancing star Dame Sarah Storey has opened up about a devastating period of ill health that left her enduring what she described as “four years of hell”.
The 48-year-old Paralympic legend is preparing to swap elite sport for the ballroom as she joins the 2026 series of the BBC dance competition.
Sarah will discover her professional partner during Saturday night’s launch show on September 19, marking the beginning of a completely new challenge following her retirement from international competition earlier this year.
Speaking ahead of her Strictly appearance, Sarah admitted she was thrilled to enter a completely different world.
“Embarking on a new challenge so soon after stepping down as an athlete is hugely exciting,” she told the BBC.
She added that her daughter Louisa is a talented dancer, making the opportunity to learn from Strictly’s professionals even more special.
“I can’t wait to get started!” she said.
But Sarah’s extraordinary sporting career has also included serious health struggles and painful setbacks.
Four Years of Hell’ With Her Health
Sarah was born without a functioning left hand after it became trapped in the umbilical cord before birth.
Following the Atlanta Paralympics in 1996, she moved to Leeds and attempted to join a local swimming club.
However, she said the head coach refused to allow her to train because of her disability.
That decision forced Sarah to coach herself — something she later said contributed to overtraining and serious health problems.
Speaking to The Guardian, Sarah explained: “They say what doesn’t kill you makes you stronger, although it led to me having to coach myself, overtraining and ending up with chronic fatigue syndrome and four years of hell with my health.”
She later described the problem as effectively RED syndrome, or relative energy deficiency.
“I was struggling to refuel, to sleep, to get the right balance of training,” she explained.
Despite the difficulties, Sarah said the experience gave her greater empathy for other athletes going through similar struggles.
She also believes those years may have helped prepare her for the demands of later life, particularly balancing elite sport with motherhood and other responsibilities.
Difficult Recovery After Childbirth
Sarah has also spoken candidly about a more recent health challenge following the birth of her second child, Charlie.
Appearing on Morning Live, she revealed that she experienced significant blood loss after giving birth.
Sarah said her haemoglobin levels dropped from nearly 16 to below 10.
“I felt absolutely dreadful,” she recalled.
She explained that rebuilding her iron levels and ferritin stores proved extremely difficult.
“I don’t think I’ve ever had high ferritin stores ever since; it’s almost like a permanent change,” she said.
Although her iron and haemoglobin levels eventually improved, Sarah said the recovery process was particularly difficult because she continued feeling unwell for such a long period.
“It was really horrible because you just feel dreadful for such a long time,” she added.
Paralympic Legend Steps Away From Competition
Sarah announced her retirement from international competitive sport this year after a career spanning 35 years.
She began competing as a swimmer at the age of 14 before a persistent ear infection forced her to leave the pool in 2005.
She then switched to cycling and went on to become Great Britain’s most successful Paralympian.
Across nine Paralympic Games, Sarah collected 30 medals, including 19 golds.
Reflecting on her retirement, she thanked the many people who had supported her throughout her career, including coaches, teachers, friends and family.
She reserved particularly emotional words for her children, Louisa and Charlie.
“You gave me renewed energy for my sport,” she wrote.
Sarah said some of her finest performances came after becoming a mother and credited her children with inspiring her to keep pushing boundaries.
Dancing on Ice Dream Ended by Injury
Sarah’s move into television competition has not always gone according to plan.
In 2024, she was announced as a contestant on Dancing on Ice and paired with professional skater Sylvain Longchambon.
However, she was forced to withdraw before the competition began after suffering a fractured ankle during training.
Sarah described the incident as an “awkward stumble and fall” in which her left foot became trapped on the ice.
She was “absolutely gutted” to leave the programme but immediately focused on her rehabilitation and eventual return to cycling.
At the time, Sarah said her long career had taught her how to deal with setbacks.
“My career has seen so many ups and downs with injury and illness, plus returning after two babies, which means I’m well equipped for another comeback,” she said.
Now, after retiring from elite competition, Sarah is preparing for another comeback of a very different kind.
This weekend she will finally get the opportunity to take on a major television challenge when she steps onto the Strictly Come Dancing floor.
After decades spent overcoming illness, injuries and sporting pressure, the Paralympic champion is entering the ballroom determined to embrace something entirely new.
