Olympic gold medallist Brittany Elmslie has made the ultimate food sacrifice as she embarks on her journey to the Rio Games.
Three months after learning she suffered from coeliac disease, the 20-year-old is flying towards her goal despite giving up her secret weapon, Vegemite.
“I was devastated when I realised Vegemite wasn’t gluten free,” she said.
Coeliac disease occurs when the immune system reacts to gluten, causing problems in the bowel, and Elmslie was diagnosed after she returned from the Commonwealth Games in August.
She called her diagnosis “a blessing in disguise’’ after battling to explain feeling consistently flat in training.
“We couldn’t figure out why some afternoons I’d be completely sapped of energy,” she said.
“It’s just been a change of lifestyle. I”m completely gluten free now and I’ve got a lot more energy to go faster in training.”
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