UK3 min(s) read
Published 14:26 19 Aug 2023 GMT
The sports and education community in the UK is mourning the tragic loss of Helen Smart, a celebrated former Olympic swimmer who represented Great Britain in the 2000 Sydney Games.
Helen, 42, was discovered unresponsive by her four-year-old daughter, Heidi, in their cottage off the banks of Lake Coniston in Northwest England, as reported by the Daily Mail.
The horrifying discovery took place in the early hours of Saturday when young Heidi went to her mother, who lay lifeless in her bed.
"Mommy won’t wake up," the little girl told her father, as recounted by Helen's mother, Linda, to the Daily Mail. The family was soon met with the unfathomable reality.
Linda said, "I touched her foot and she was cold. She looked asleep but you could tell she was gone."
The grieving mom said: "At midnight, she went to bed telling me: 'I'll go to bed now mum as I know I'll be woken at 6AM by Heidi. I just want to get some sleep in as I've had a long day.'
Linda added: "Robert woke us up at 4AM and said: 'Mum, dad you need to keep up - we think Helen's died. We just ran up and followed up and there she was in bed. I touched her foot and she was cold. I walked round and to the side of her and she looked asleep but you could tell she was gone.
"I just said: ''Why couldn't it have been me.'' I would have happily swapped places with her. That's not the way round it should have been. I just thought, no no."
Helen, who once made waves as the British backstroke champion under her maiden name Don-Duncan, secured her legacy in the late 1990s. Fans and fellow athletes watched with bated breath as she competed fiercely in the 2000 Olympics, finishing a commendable 15th in the 200-meter backstroke.
After the Sydney Olympics, Helen transitioned gracefully from her competitive swimming days and embarked on a career in education. She left an indelible mark on Worsley Mesnes Community Primary School in Wigan, England, where she served as headteacher.
Her commitment to the school and its growth was evident. As her husband, Craig Smart, fondly remembered on Facebook, "She loved the school, staff, children, and parents so much."
He shared how Helen often spoke about her dedication to the school, saying she was "Worsley Mesnes through and through!" and her dream was to uplift the school to outstanding levels.
The cause of Helen's sudden death remains undisclosed, leaving her family grappling for answers and enveloped in sorrow. "We are just in so much shock. You jump from believing it to not believing it…We're distraught," Linda shared, echoing the sentiments of countless others who loved and admired Helen.
Helen's legacy spans beyond the pools of Olympic venues; her contributions to education and the palpable impact she had on the lives of her students stand testament to the remarkable individual she was.
As tributes pour in from across the country, it's evident that Helen's spirit and achievements will continue to inspire generations. Her prowess in swimming, commitment to education, and enduring love for her family will never be forgotten.
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world2 min(s) read
Published 10:21 02 Aug 2024 GMT
Tamara Potocka, a swimmer from Team Slovakia, needed medical assistance after competing in the women's 200-metre individual medley.
The 21-year-old athlete collapsed at the side of the pool after finishing seventh in the race, according to Sky News.
Medical teams rushed to assist her and images show that she was seen with an oxygen mask as she was taken away on a stretcher.
The manager of the venue has confirmed that Potocka is conscious and is currently undergoing medical assessment.
It remains unclear whether the athlete had to receive CPR.
Eight swimmers had already taken to the blocks for the next heat when Potocka required medical attention, prompting race organizers to halt the event and send the swimmers back to their seats upon realizing the severity of the situation, per the Sun.
Commentators watched in horror as the incident unfolded.
One person remarked: "This doesn't look good... 15,000 people are now watching an athlete surrounded by medical staff and I can assure you it's absolutely silent in here."
"They've got a stretcher out, they've got an oxygen mask on the athlete, and I'm going to say... this looks very serious."
"They've got the neck brace around so I can only imagine that someone has hit their head and has some kind of trauma - they want to immobilize the athlete. We hope that there's nothing more than that..."
She finished the heat with a time of two minutes 14.20 seconds which was not enough to secure her place in the next round.
Canada's Summer McIntosh won heat three with a time of 2:09:90 and was followed by Yiting Yu of China, Australia's Ella Ramsay, and Team GB star Abbie Wood.
The fastest 16 swimmers from the heats progress to the semi-finals which are due to take place on Friday evening.
This is a breaking news story, more to follow...
weird2 min(s) read
Published 12:09 21 Jun 2022 GMT
One mom has proven that she won't be making the country's athletics line-up any time soon.
Taking to Facebook to share her story, 36-year-old mom Katie Hannaford shared several posts last week to mark her daughter's school sports day.
After being convinced to take part in the parent race (always the most exciting part of any sports day, in my humble opinion), the doting mom took to the start line and awaited her race to begin.
However, little did the residents of Basildon in Essex know - there was a full moon approaching.
In her first post, Katie shared a photo and video of her daughter on the big day, along with the caption: "Great day at Sports day for my little cherub. Come first in her race as well love her. Lessons learnt... I’m no longer 21 and shouldn’t run in the mums race and don’t ever wear a dress when running."
In her follow-up post, Katie shared a video that backed up her statement.
Check it out below...As she darts from the starting line, Katie unfortunately loses her footing and takes a face-first tumble to the ground. What's even more unfortunate is that her blue dress then flips over her body, revealing her bum and undies to the watching crowd of fellow parents, students, and teachers.
However, she certainly saw the funny side, posting the video to Facebook with the caption: "When the kids got more at sports day than they were expecting! Haha!"
"If you can’t laugh at yourself then what’s life about ay! Sorry kiddo’s and anyone else watching!"
Since sharing the video on June 15, it has amassed more than 400,000 views on Facebook, with hundreds of people flooding the comments section with their reaction to Katie's luckless trip.
"Poor woman I would have been mortified," one Facebook user commented.
A second joked: "It’s rumoured that a lot of husbands slept on the couch that night."
One support commented: "You absolute legend sharing this! Styling it out. Better luck for the next race."
Katie - perhaps you'll do better in the beanbag toss?
I shall bear this in mind whenever my kid asks me to run against the other daddies...
sport2 min(s) read
Published 13:25 10 Aug 2021 GMT
An Olympic cyclist has died suddenly at the age of 24, reportedly just hours after sharing a heartfelt Instagram post on the pressures of competing in sporting events..
Per Metro, New Zealand athlete Olivia Podmore had competed at the 2016 Rio Olympics and the 2018 Commonwealth Games - but had not been selected to represent her country at the Tokyo Games.
While her cause of death has not been reported, her loved ones had shared their concerns for her mental health.
According to The Mirror, just hours before she passed away, Podmore had opened up about the heartbreak that comes with losing a competition, not being selected at all, and not being able to compete to one's usual standard due to reasons out of one's control.
She shared her struggles in an Instagram post that has since been deleted, writing: "Sport is an amazing outlet for so many people, it’s a struggle, it’s a fight but it’s so joyous.
"The feeling when you win is unlike any other, but the feeling when you lose, when you don’t get selected even when you qualify, when [your're] injured, when you don’t meet society’s expectations such as owning a house, marriage, kids all because [you're] trying to give everything to your sport is also unlike any other."
As reported by Metro, police investigated a sudden death at a home in Waikato on New Zealand’s upper North Island at about 4 PM local time on Monday, August 9.
According to the paper, Podmore's friend and former Olympic rowing champion, 39-year-old Eric Murray said he was with her on Monday, describing her death as a "shock and a tragedy."
He said: "I wish she had said something We have lost a sister, a friend, and a fighter who lost that will of fight inside of her. If you had seen her in the last 72 hours, you wouldn’t have thought this could happen. That’s why there’s so much talk about mental health at the moment."
In a statement, per The Mirror, Cycling New Zealand said they were "deeply saddened with the loss of one of our young cyclists".
They added: "Olivia was a much loved and respected rider in our Cycling New Zealand squad. At this time we are providing support to our staff and riders, the cycling community, and those that were close to Olivia.
"Cycling New Zealand extend our deepest sympathies to Olivia’s family at this time and we ask that the media respect the privacy of Olivia’s family, friends, and our riders."
Podmore's tragic passing comes after high-profile athletes including tennis player Naomi Osaka and gymnast Simone Biles pulled out of events in order to prioritize their mental health.
us2 min(s) read
Published 15:21 27 Feb 2023 GMT
A criminal investigation is underway after former US swimming champion Jamie Cail died suddenly in the US Virgin Islands.
Per WMUR, USVI police say the 42-year-old was found unresponsive on the floor of the St John house she shared with her boyfriend on February 21.
Cail was discovered by her boyfriend - who police have not identified - after he returned home from a bar shortly after midnight (12:08AM).
Upon finding Cail's lifeless body, he and a friend carried the former swimming champ to a vehicle and transported her to the nearby Myrah Keating-Smith Community Health Center. Once there, lifesaving efforts were unsuccessful and Cail "succumbed to her ailment".
Police were then notified of the athlete's death at around 2:39AM.
No cause of death has been revealed at this time.
Per 7News, the Virgin Islands Police Department has said in a statement: "This case is presently under investigation by the Criminal Investigation Bureau."
An accomplished athlete, Cail - originally from Claremont, New Hampshire - still holds a number of under-16 school swimming records that she set as a young teen.
In 1997, she won a gold medal as part of the US relay team at the Pan Pacific Championships. She would go on to represent the United States as part of its national B team at the FINA World Cup in Brazil in 1998 and 1999, winning a silver medal in the 800m freestyle event.
ABC News adds that Cail would go on to become a key member of the University of Maine's women's swim team in the 2000/2001 academic year.
Speaking to WMUR, a family friend described Cail as "a very beautiful person", before adding: "She had a huge heart. She was really loving and kind and well-loved and popular on the island and everybody knows her."
"Everyone from the, you know, older generational, local families to the younger people, everybody loved her," the friend added.
VIPD has added in a Facebook post: "Anyone with any information regarding this case is urged to contact 911, Criminal Investigation Bureau, Detective J. Carty at (340)693-8880, ext. 5207 or Detective S. Rhymer at (340)774-2211 ext. 5572 or Crime Stoppers V.I. at 1 (800)222-TIPS."
Our thoughts are with Cail's family and loved ones at this time.
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