Olympic Hopeful’s Career Ended After Contracting Lyme Disease from Petting a Panda

A young British swimming champion’s career came crashing down, after contracting Lyme disease from a tick bite during a “once-in-a-lifetime” chance to pet a panda bear in China.

Swimmer Sophie Ward’s health deteriorated rapidly after her 2008 visit to Beijing, China, to watch the Olympic games. During the trip she signed up to meet China’s famed panda bears and was even allowed to get close enough to pet one, the Daily Mail reported.

But, upon returning home, the then 14-year-old Lancashire, England, resident soon began losing weight, having allergies she never had to food, became weak, needed a wheelchair to get around, experienced recurring infections, and suffered a host of other medical problems. For several years British doctors could not pinpoint what was ailing her. Eventually, though, a test revealed she had contracted Lyme disease, likely from a tick bite during the visit with the Chinese wildlife.

In the meantime, due to her debilitating medical problems, Ward lost her promising career as a champion swimmer and the now 24-year-old is speaking out to warn others of the problems Lyme disease can cause.

“My Olympic dreams being dashed was heartbreaking. A bite from a tick completely changed my life,” Ward told the paper.

Ward is hoping that her terrible problems will help others experiencing the same mysterious ailments to find solutions to their problems.

Follow Warner Todd Huston on Twitter @warnerthuston.