Patrícia Farias: From Meningitis to Capri-Naples
After being hospitalized in late 2016, the ultramarathon swimmer resumed training just in time to tackle the historic Italian open water challenge.
On Natação Stemma, Patrícia Farias recounted her frightening meningitis diagnosis following an intense 2016 racing season. The athlete detailed her hospitalization and her return to training in time to tackle the Capri-Naples crossing in June 2017.
The 2016 season brought a relentless string of open water challenges for Patrícia Farias. Based in Rio de Janeiro, the swimmer strung together a marathon of events across Brazil, competing in legs of Rei e Rainha do Mar, XTERRA, Volta do Parcel, and the Travessia 14 Bis. She planned to wrap up that calendar in December with the traditional Fuga das Ilhas race along the coast of São Paulo.
A frightening diagnosis and hospitalization
Logistics for the final race of the year took a heavy toll: just the day before Fuga das Ilhas, Patrícia completed the 10 km Rei e Rainha do Mar and drove to São Paulo. Facing a delayed start and intense heat, she suffered from dehydration. Shortly after crossing the finish line, severe headaches and back pain set in and refused to subside with rest.
Rushed to Hospital Sírio-Libanês in São Paulo, Patrícia was diagnosed with meningitis following targeted tests. Her condition required about two weeks in the hospital in late December, forcing a complete halt to her swimming and a mandatory period of total bed rest in early 2017.
Recovery and the Capri-Naples crossing
The diagnosis jeopardized her main goal for the first half of 2017: the iconic Capri-Naples crossing in Italy, scheduled for June. Her return to the pool had to be gradual to allow her body to heal. She resumed light swimming in February, and only in March was she able to ramp up training intensity ahead of the international event.
Despite a tight training window between March and June, years of accumulated mileage and muscle memory allowed Patrícia to regain the required conditioning. In June 2017, the ultramarathon swimmer completed the Capri-Naples crossing, triumphantly overcoming her health ordeal.