The Paralympian who was trapped inside her body
After years in a coma, Victoria Arlen woke up in hospital locked into her body unable to speak or move. But just two years later she swam for gold at the 2012 Paralympic Games.
When Victoria Arlen was a child, she had dreams of being an athlete. But at the age of 11 she became unwell and lost consciousness, only to wake up years later in a hospital bed locked into her body, unable to communicate or move. For months she was alert, but nobody knew it and all she had were her thoughts. Slowly she recovered and took up para-swimming, going on to break a world record at the London 2012 Paralympic Games. This story was first broadcast on the 30th of September 2018.
Μύ
Presenter: Harry Graham
Producer: Katy Davis
Μύ
Picture: Victoria Arlen
Credit: Harry Engles / Getty Images
Μύ
Get in touch: outlook@bbc.com
Featured in...
![]()
Extraordinary Olympians and Paralympians—Outlook
Stories of sporting glory, disaster, comebacks and life after the Games
Podcast
-
![]()
The Outlook Podcast Archive
True stories of ordinary people and the extraordinary events that have shaped their lives
