Former BBC, ITV and Sky Sports host Charlie Webster is in a medically-induced coma due to a rare strain of malaria which she contracted following a charity bike ride across Brazil that ended before the Olympics Opening Ceremony. Webster who has fronted soccer and boxing programs in the UK, was going to do some work for the Great Britain Olympic team, when she felt dehydrated at the Opening Ceremony and went to the hospital.

It was there where she was first diagnosed with a serious infection and posted this message on her Twitter account just days after the Opening Ceremony:

Several days later, a message was posted on her various social media platforms about her illness:

However, her condition has deteriorated to the point where she was put into a medically-induced coma and is currently on life support. Then her agent informed Sky News about her condition:

Webster arrived in Rio on August 4 after a charity 39-day, 3,000-mile bike ride across Brazil and posted pictures of her journey on her social media accounts:

Since the news broke about Webster’s coma, she’s received support from various sports personalities in the UK including 2014 ESPN World Cup host Lynsey Hipgrave:

One of the concerns about the Rio Olympics was Zika which is transmitted by mosquitoes, but a rare strain of malaria was certainly not among them. Webster’s coma is quite shocking and it’s shaken up a tight-knit UK sports media community. It’s hoped that Webster will have a full recovery soon.

[BBC]

About Ken Fang

Ken has been covering the sports media in earnest at his own site, Fang's Bites since May 2007 and at Awful Announcing since March 2013.

He provides a unique perspective having been an award-winning radio news reporter in Providence and having worked in local television.

Fang celebrates the four Boston Red Sox World Championships in the 21st Century, but continues to be a long-suffering Cleveland Browns fan.

Comments are closed.