Former Wimbledon champion Marion Bartoli is ready for another sports challenge after surviving a life-threatening health scare earlier this summer.
Bartoli is preparing to run in the upcoming New York City Marathon on November 12. This is just months after leaving the hospital after surviving a near-fatal health scare.
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“I thought, well, if I can run this iconic run, and I can go through that while I’m going through this right now, it can be the best recovery medicine for me,” Bartoli told NBC Sports.
Bartoli spent three weeks in an Italian hospital after this year’s Wimbledon as she endured a mystery virus. The former top 10 player found herself losing weight and unable to eat after a recent trip to India earlier in the year.
“Battling every single day to survive,” Bartoli described the ordeal to reporters. “I was almost, like shrinking.”
Though now better, the 32-year-old Bartoli stressed she was not fully recovered. Still, she neeed a goal to aim for and thought the marathon would be a good one.
“I was fit and strong,” Bartoli said. “Sport has been in my life forever. I will always be a sportsperson. I thought, if I can set myself a sports goal, that would maybe help me keep my faith, because at some point I was just losing my faith to be able to recover one day from this.”
Bartoli also took inspiration from Caroline Wozniacki who completed the race back in 2014.
“I just want to finish,” Bartoli said.