Photo via BBC Sport

Sportspeople back Dobbin's PM plea on ME funding

A coalition of over 350 athletes, including Olympic and Paralympic champions, has united behind former sprinter Beth Dobbin in urging the UK government to prioritize funding for myalgic encephalomyelitis (ME) research. Dobbin, who now spends more than 22 hours a day in bed due to her severe diagnosis, revealed her condition in a BBC Sport interview, highlighting the devastating impact of a disease that affects an estimated 400,000 to over one million people in the UK.

The athletes’ open letter, signed by figures such as Dina Asher-Smith, Tom Daley, David Moyes, Emma Hayes, and Millie Bright, calls for increased investment to match funding levels for other chronic illnesses, noting that just £6.6 million has been allocated for ME research between 2019 and 2024—far less than the £79.1 million for Parkinson’s or £496.4 million for dementia. Dobbin’s advocacy, despite the risk of triggering severe relapses, has galvanized support from across the sporting world, emphasizing the urgent need for medical progress in a condition with no approved treatments and over 200 possible symptoms, ranging from cognitive impairment to extreme fatigue that worsens with minimal exertion.

Up nextAthletics· 14h ago

Almgren wins in New York on marathon debut