Canadian swimmer Summer McIntosh has successfully recovered from an illness that temporarily sidelined her from the pool, expressing that she is now “feeling great” after enduring a challenging two-week period. McIntosh had to withdraw from all three legs of the World Cup tour due to falling ill before the initial event in Carmel, Indiana.
In an interview with CBC Sports, McIntosh revealed that just days before the World Cup kick-off, she was suddenly awoken by a severe headache in the middle of the night, sparking a two-week investigation into her health condition. Despite multiple visits to the emergency room and various tests ruling out potential causes like mono, flu, or COVID, McIntosh ultimately underwent a lumbar puncture examination to test for viral meningitis, which fortunately was not the case.
Following the lumbar puncture, also known as a spinal tap, McIntosh encountered complications that necessitated over a week of bed rest, delaying her return to the pool. Nonetheless, she is now back in the water and gradually regaining her strength after relocating to Austin, Texas, to train under renowned coach Bob Bowman. McIntosh emphasized the importance of a gradual recovery process and expressed her disappointment at missing the World Cup, particularly the final stop in Toronto, where she hoped to compete in front of a home crowd.
Amidst McIntosh’s absence, fellow Canadian swimmers like Josh Liendo and Ilya Kharun excelled in the competition, with Liendo breaking records and Kharun securing multiple gold medals. Canada has amassed ten medals in the early stages of the Pan Am Sports Centre competition, showcasing a strong performance.
Cheering on her compatriots from afar, McIntosh has closely followed the World Cup events and also shown support for the Toronto Blue Jays in the World Series. Grateful for the backing she receives in her new training environment at the University of Texas, McIntosh highlighted the exceptional talent in her training group and expressed her enthusiasm for upcoming competitions. She plans to participate in the U.S. Open in December and continues to draw inspiration from her training experiences with Bob Bowman’s team.
In a testament to her dedication to the sport and ongoing recovery journey, McIntosh remains optimistic about her future endeavors and the growth of Canadian swimming on the international stage.