From Olympic Hopeful to Long Covid: Oonagh CousinsWhen Olympic rower Oonagh Cousins was pre-selected for Tokyo 2020, her dream of representing Great Britain was within reach. But after COVID-19 swept through the team, Oonagh didn’t recover. She developed Long Covid, post-exertional malaise (PEM), and dysautonomia — forcing her from peak performance into chronic illness.In this powerful conversation with Emily Kate Stephens and Gez Medinger, Oonagh shares what happens when the mindset that makes you elite — resilience, discipline, pushing through — becomes the very thing that deepens your illness.We explore Long Covid in elite athletes, the psychological impact of losing an Olympic dream, the grief of chronic illness, and why rest — not grit — is often the path to recovery.Oonagh now advocates for people living with Long Covid and ME/CFS, working with Long Covid Support and helping shape patient-centred care through her work at Visible Health.