Elite cyclist Frida Knutsson, from Falun and full-time professional in Luxembourg, suffered a severe crash almost a year ago and suffered a concussion that did not want to bring. It became the beginning of a rehab hell that ended at an eating disorder clinic.

Since the concussion made training impossible, she excluded food to compensate for the absent training that developed into starvation, undeveloped in the "bicycle bubble".

- Yes, it developed into a severe bullimi. The worst thing that could happen during this period was to gain weight because I couldn't exercise. It was great, it went so far that I didn't get out of bed in the end, ”Knutsson tells Radio P4 Dalarna.

Getting enrolled in an eating disorder clinic was the first step on the road back to a normal life. Whether there can be more cycling at the elite level is uncertain for the 22-year-old.

"I have to thank my family and boyfriend"

- I have to thank my family and boyfriend for the support that I dared to take help but I know nothing about the future. I do not know if I will manage that environment again. Even before covid-19, I had decided not to cycle any more this season. I was too broken down, says Knutsson, who does not feel stressed in normal life. It is the thought of cycling that makes the thoughts spin.

- I am stressed about the demands of elite sports and do not know if I will be able to do it, Knutsson thinks as she struggled with self-esteem and that so much of her life depended on the results she achieved on the bike.

Knutsson did not think she would be well-liked without the successful results in her back.

Currently working on Falu laser

- I talked to my boyfriend, who is not in elite sports, last fall and it was redeeming for my self-confidence and self-image to be able to be liked without any kind of value in my achievements. It has meant so much in my way of looking at myself, Knutsson thinks.

Knutsson is now symptom-free and working at the emergency room among covid-19 patients at Falu laser.

“Competing is fantastic, but health is even more important,” she writes on her Instagram, attaching a photo where she smiles in large white hospital attire.