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Sir Steve Redgrave
Five times Olympic rowing champion Sir Steve Redgrave was diagnosed with Ulcerative Colitis back in 1992. Sir Steve regularly enjoys raising awareness for our charity and supported us by recording an episode for our Crohn's & Colitis UK podcast.
Sir Steve Redgrave shared his diagnosis story with us here. He told us - "I got really sick with Colitis 15 weeks before I had to compete at the Barcelona Olympics. I was in the loo 10 times a day, my performance was tailing off, I was in agony. I look back now and realise how sick I was. Colitis is something you just can’t control. I’m married to a doctor, so I was really lucky that she realised there was something major going on and got me some help."
As well as recording Episode 5 of our Crohn's & Colitis UK podcast with us: Confronting Colitis with Olympic and Dancing on Ice Star Sir Steve Redgrave, in January 2025, Sir Steve participated in ITV's Dancing on Ice. Sir Steve collaborated on social media posts with our charity surrounding the television series.
There were times when it seemed as if Colitis would prevent me from reaching that fifth gold medal but, with the right medical treatment, I've been able to keep the illness under control and continue with my life, both in training during my career as a professional athlete and in my life beyond the boat.
Many others aren't as fortunate - for them, just trying to lead a normal life is a real test of courage and determination. I know the impact of these diseases - it's important to have good information, understanding and support.
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Helpline Service
Last updated: 22/07/2026
Our Helpline team can't take calls or ring you back for the rest of the summer. But you can still reach us by email.
If you need to contact the team, please email helpline@crohnsandcolitis.org.uk and we'll answer you as soon as possible.
Thanks for bearing with us.
How Can We Help?
- We can help you understand Crohn’s and Colitis
- Listen and talk about living with IBD
- Help you connect with others in the Crohn’s and Colitis community
- Give you contact details of specialist organisations
- We can support you to live well with Crohn’s or Colitis and provide up-to-date, evidence-based information
Please be aware we’re not medically or legally trained. We cannot provide detailed financial or benefits advice or specialist emotional support.
If you need specific medical advice about your condition, your GP or IBD team will be best placed to help.