An Olympic swimmer for Australia says she has been hospitalized in Italy with covid-19, adding that “when it comes, it hits very hard.”
“I feel extremely unlucky,” she wrote, “but I do believe this is a huge wake up call. Covid is a serious thing and when it comes, it hits very hard. I’d be stupid not to say I wasn’t scared. I’m so lucky for all my family, friends and support people. I can’t believe how much love I have been shown and I’m forever in debt to these people.”
She went on to urge people to get vaccinated, saying in an Instagram story, “I have no idea how I would feel right now if I wasn’t [vaccinated] and it’s scary to think what this virus can do even when vaccinated. Look after yourself and everyone around you.”
Wilson, 27, also was a member of Australia’s medal-winning 4x100 relay teams (gold in freestyle and silver in medley) at the 2016 Olympics in Rio de Janeiro. In Tokyo, she swam on the 4x100 relay team in a qualifying heat but not in the final, still receiving a gold medal. She also was a member of the team that took home a bronze medal in the 4x200 freestyle relay in Tokyo.
In the ISL, a professional league, Wilson competes for the LA Current and missed the match in Naples after testing positive for the virus. According to the league, no other swimmer has tested positive.
“It’s been a crazy few months and I believe being run down physically and mentally may have made me more susceptible,” she said, adding that she will be “taking some time to rest and I’m sure I’ll be ready to bounce back in no time.”
