Paris, the city of love, played host to a remarkable comeback. Becky downie, the seasoned British gymnast, returned to the Olympic stage after an eight-year hiatus. Her presence resonated deeply, not just for her athletic prowess, but also for the personal struggles she faced behind the scenes.

Downie, then 32, led Team GB in the women’s artistic gymnastics competition.Her performance on the uneven bars in the team final was a highlight, earning her the highest score of the day: 14.933. This contribution helped Grate britain secure fourth place, narrowly missing the podium by a mere 0.234 points.

But her journey to Paris was fraught with challenges.Now, Downie is opening up about a private health battle she faced while preparing for the Olympics.

A Personal Revelation: Raising Fibroid Awareness

In a candid Instagram post, Downie shared her experience with uterine fibroids, This is a very personal post, but one I wanted to help raise fibroid awareness with. She admitted, If you’d have asked me a year ago what a fibroid was, I’d have been clueless, along with many of my family and friends.

Uterine fibroids are common, yet frequently enough misunderstood. These non-cancerous growths can develop during a woman’s reproductive years, varying in size and potentially causing significant discomfort and complications.

The Road to Diagnosis: Overcoming Initial Misconceptions

Preparing for her Olympic return, Downie noticed changes in her body. A few months before I went to Paris I thought I could feel a lump in my stomach. I told my medical team but no one else was aware of what was going on. Initially it was thought to be tight muscle, and having defined abs from training made it a bit more tough to diagnose.

Downie began her season at the Cairo World Cup in February, unaware that these lumps were uterine fibroids. Given her athletic physique and rigorous training regimen, the initial misdiagnosis was understandable.

The Turning Point: Realizing Something Was Wrong

Upon returning from Paris, Downie realized the situation was more serious than initially believed. In an interview with BBC, she spoke of needing a break for her mental and physical well-being. Not long after returning from Paris I could feel something wasn’t right and could visibly see and feel something was inside my stomach, she said.

Ultrasound results confirmed her suspicions. At first I wasn’t too worried hearing how common these can be but my situation escalated quite quickly (course it did 🙄) Not only did I have multiple fibroids, mine had grown extremely big and were causing further complications.

Treatment and Surgery: A Difficult Decision

Treatment options for uterine fibroids range from watchful waiting and medications to non-surgical procedures like embolization, which cuts off the blood supply to the fibroids, causing them to shrink.However,in Downie’s case,surgery was the necessary course of action.

Due to them being so big it wasn’t possible to have them removed through keyhole and required open abdominal surgery to remove them.

Downie, who has undergone several surgeries throughout her career, including ankle surgery in 2018, elbow surgery in 2017, and an Achilles tendon rupture in 2022, found this surgery particularly daunting. Despite having many surgeries in my career, this one was much scarier being a non injury related issue, with risks impacting future fertility and being a much more invasive procedure.

She underwent an open myomectomy, a procedure to remove the fibroids while preserving the uterus. Expressing gratitude to her medical team, she shared, I have no idea how this recovery will be and no idea where I was hiding them 😅 but 10 fibroids were successfully removed and my future health and fertility preservation were put at the forefront of all these decisions.

Looking Ahead: Recovery and Gratitude

Post-surgery,Downie expressed her relief and hope for the future.I’ve never felt more grateful to be home and recovering from a surgery,this one was a big one and was pretty scary. 3/3 surgeries complete ….. 2025 please be kinder to me now !! 🤍

While 2025 remains uncertain, Downie’s fans have shown unwavering support.

An Outpouring of Support: The Gymnastics Community Responds

The gymnastics community and beyond have rallied around Downie, offering prayers and well wishes for her recovery.

One fan wrote, Best wishes for a speedy recovery!

Another shared, Bless you I had to have a hysterectomy as mine where so severe but luckily I had had my family by then. Take care of yourself and remember to be kind to yourself. This comment highlights the severity that fibroids can reach, sometimes necessitating a hysterectomy, a surgical procedure involving the complete removal of the uterus, typically considered when other treatments prove ineffective or when childbearing is no longer a concern.

another fan added, Wish you a speedy recovery 🫶🏼! Thank you for rising awareness ☺! And all the best for the rest of 2025, you deserve all the good things and moments 🥰! Recovery from a myomectomy can take up to six weeks.

Raising Awareness: A Crucial Step

A 2024 survey conducted by The Harris Poll on behalf of the Society of Interventional Radiology revealed that a significant portion of women are unfamiliar with uterine fibroids. More than half of women aged 18–34 (56%) and 51% of women aged 35–44 were not familiar with or had never heard of uterine fibroids.

Downie’s decision to share her story on Instagram, where she has a considerable following, has been praised for its impact. One follower commented, Thank you for sharing something so personal, but so vital. To anyone else out there suffering with fibroids or gynae pain: please don’t do what I did,and put up with your pain & misery being dismissed as ‘usual women’s things’ untill it was too late.

British Paralympic athlete Charlotte Henshaw also showed her support, Sending love to you! Powerful of you to share your experience. Wishing you a speedy recovery ❤️.

The outpouring of support underscores the importance of raising awareness about uterine fibroids and encouraging women to seek timely medical attention.