Canadian swimming sensation Summer McIntosh says she has recovered from an illness that took her out of the pool and is “feeling great” after what was a harrowing two weeks for the 19-year-old.
McIntosh was forced to withdraw from all three stops on the World Cup tour after suffering an illness ahead of the first event in Carmel, Ind.
In an exclusive interview with CBC Sports, McIntosh says just two days out from the start of the World Cup she woke up in the middle of the night with a severe headache that led to two weeks of searching for answers about what was wrong with her.
“I knew something was off and I had a slew of other symptoms. I was in and out of the ER a few times, and they ran a bunch of tests and they couldn’t really figure out what it was. They thought it was mono; it wasn’t mono. They thought it was the flu or COVID, and there was none of that,” McIntosh said.
“So then my third time going to the ER they had to test me for what they thought might have been viral meningitis. Thank goodness it wasn’t, but to do that test they had to do a lumbar puncture.”
Complications from lumbar puncture
That lumbar puncture, also known as a spinal tap, turned out to be somewhat problematic for McIntosh. She says there were “complications” that developed in the wake of the lumbar puncture that put her on bed rest for more than a week.
“It just kind of delayed me getting back into the water because I was feeling fine, for the most part, but then that just kind of reinstated not feeling the best, with those complications,” she said.
“I’ve definitely had some time away from the pool but I’m just so happy to be back in the water now and slowly getting back into things.”
McIntosh, who recently moved to Austin, Texas to train with legendary coach Bob Bowman, says she will be taking her time building back her strength as she recovers from the illness and complications relating to the lumbar puncture.
She’s massively disappointed not to have competed in the World Cup, especially in front of the Canadian crowd on the final stop at the Pan Am Sports Centre just outside Toronto.
“It really sucks in the timing of it just because I really wanted to compete at the World Cups and especially wanted to do that last stop in Toronto and swim in front of a home crowd,” she said.
“Seeing what Josh did was absolutely incredible and of course all the Canadian women as well. I’ve been in touch with them, texting them; I miss everyone. It’s just amazing to see Canadian sports on the rise right now. It’s just so inspiring to see, and I hope that we continue this momentum which I think we will for sure.”
On opening night of the World Cup in Toronto, Josh Liendo broke the 100-metre short-course butterfly record to win gold. On the second evening he broke the Canadian short-course record in the 100m freestyle to also win gold.
Ilya Kharun captured gold in the 200m butterfly on Friday night, bringing his medal total over the three stops to 11, including six gold medals. Kharun won the triple crown in the 200m fly, securing victories at all three stops in the event.
Canada has won ten medals through the first two days of competition at the Pan Am Sports Centre with one final session to go.
While she just missed out on five gold medals at the World Aquatics Championships, the Canadian teenage star gained valuable experience moving forward.
Cheering on the Blue Jays
McIntosh has been keeping a close eye on every session of the World Cup, and is also watching and cheering on the Blue Jays as the World Series gets underway in Toronto.
“I’ve watched every single game with my dad. And we were yelling at the TV and screaming. So excited to see that they won Game 1 last night,” she said.
McIntosh says she’s feeling supported in her new training environment at the University of Texas with Bowman’s pro team.
The list of talent in her training group is astounding with names like Leon Marchand, Regan Smith, Hubi Kos and others all in the pool alongside the Canadian.
“It’s just the most unreal experience coming here. I couldn’t believe it, and I think every practice is almost kind of like a pinch-me moment, and it’s something I hope I never kind of get used to or never take for granted because it’s a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity,” McIntosh said.
“All props to Bob, of course. Bob influences every single person on that team to want to get better every single day and everyone pushes each other as much as possible in the water, in the weight room and all things like that. I think we all just share the love for the sport and I think that all keeps us motivated.
McIntosh says she plans to compete in the U.S. Open scheduled for the beginning of December in Austin.
Three-time Olympic champion has committed to train in Texas under Bob Bowman, who coached Phelps to 23 Olympic gold medals.
