Sophie Raworth health: Broadcast journalist – ‘I thought I was dying’

BBC make HUGE blunder as Sophie Raworth reads the headlines

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In a candid telling of her ordeal, Sophie Raworth said: “I was absolutely fine until about 17 miles. “But I hadn’t drunk enough. Suddenly, my skin was getting goosebumps.” The mum-of-three thought to herself, “This is odd… I’m really hot, but I’m cold.”

Colliding with a barrier on the 26.2 miles stint, Sophie continued her leg of the race.

“The next thing I knew, I woke up on a stretcher, surrounded by people, with an oxygen mask on. I didn’t know what was going on.”

Sophie learned that she had collapsed with heat exhaustion after 23 miles.

“It was very hot and I hadn’t drunk enough water,” Sophie reflected.

“For 20 minutes I was unconscious, and when I came round I thought I was dying.”

Sophie described it as the “most frightening experience of [her] life”.

“The St John Ambulance staff got my temperature down from 106F by covering me in ice packs and pouring water over me,” Sophie revealed.

“For two hours they looked after me, providing lots of reassurance and sugared tea.”

Determined to finish the race, Sophie carried on and “jogged to the finish” where her family was waiting for her.

Heat exhaustion

The Mayo Clinic pointed out the warning signs of heat exhaustion.

The signs and symptoms of heat exhaustion may develop suddenly or over time, and may include:

• Cool, moist skin with goose bumps when in the heat
• Heavy sweating
• Faintness
• Dizziness
• Fatigue
• Weak, rapid pulse
• Low blood pressure upon standing
• Muscle cramps
• Nausea
• Headache.

Anybody who suspects they are experiencing heat exhaustion are advised to “stop all activity and rest”, “move to a cooler place”, and to “drink cool water or sports drinks”.

“Contact your doctor if your signs or symptoms worsen or if they don’t improve within one hour,” the Mayo Clinic added.

To help prevent heat exhaustion, especially when exercising, it is best to wear “loose fitting, lightweight clothing”.

It is also strongly advisable to protect yourself against sunburn, which can affect the body’s ability to cool itself, by wearing sunscreen.

And it is recommended to drink plenty of fluids to help maintain a normal body temperature.

Heat exhaustion is the result of the body’s failure to cool itself.

Hot weather, strenuous activity, and dehydration can all factor in the development of heat exhaustion.

Those at particular risk include infants under the age of four and adults over the age of 65.

However, as seen with Sophie, anybody can be affected by heat exhaustion if other factors apply.

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