For the past two years, hammer thrower Julia Ratcliffe has done everything possible to avoid getting Covid-19.
"I've been trying really hard to avoid it, more extreme than most people, so it's been a very narrow existence for the past two years," she said.
So, when the New Zealand hammer thrower saw two red lines come up on a Covid test just under two weeks out from her Commonwealth Games title defence in Birmingham, needless to say it wasn't part of the planned build-up.
"I don't want to make excuses but I did get [Covid] 10 days ago so I'm feeling pretty rubbish right now," Ratcliffe revealed to 1News after her final.
"But I'm just really proud of how I put that down and carried on."
Ratcliffe went on to claim silver in the women's hammer throw final on Sunday morning having worked with officials immediately after the positive test to ensure she and everyone around her were safe.
"First off, I had a roommate from the athletics team and my first thought was, 'oh, mate, put a mask on, I'm going to leave the room, chuck me a mask, we'll tell management and they can tell me where to go'," she recounted.
"It was pretty stressful. I had my fingers crossed I hadn't passed it on to anyone."
The virus left her bed-bound for three days but she managed to get to a point where she could not only start training again, but compete.
"Just to get out here, make it to the start line, healthy and ready to go has been a huge thing so I've just tried to leave that all behind and I was really proud of how I did that."
With the United Kingdom removing all restrictions around Covid-19, Commonwealth Games organisers have only made "recommendations" for the event including minimising physical contact, wearing masks in "indoor settings while in close proximity to athletes and on Games transport" and staying in their accommodation if they develop symptoms.
Protocols revealed before the Games also confirmed athletes and teams would have the option of pressing ahead with competition even if an athlete tests positive but they'd need clearance from a Games medical assessment group. The NZOC then added they'd have their own medical group to help with decisions in Birmingham as well.
The 29-year-old emphasised the virus wasn't the difference between gold and silver on Sunday and if anything she felt lucky to even be competing, given other athletes such as two-time Commonwealth Games medallist Anton Cooper weren't so lucky with their Covid experience and were forced to withdraw from events in Birmingham.
"This doesn't roll around every day so I'm really lucky that I'm not still bedridden and that I could get out there because I know that some of the New Zealand team has been not able to make the start.
"So there are silver linings in everything."
There's a silver medal to prove it too.
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