Professional triathlete Lesley was used to a gruelling six-hours-a-day training routine, but she was starting to struggle.

Her muscles ached more than usual and she was regularly nauseous. She started to question “am I going to be able to do it?” and became worried about letting down her sponsors.

A friend knew someone experiencing the same symptoms who was diagnosed with Lyme Disease. Lesley went for a check-up and in 2011 received the same diagnosis.

Reluctant to undertake a course of antibiotics – which has the potential to impact an athlete’s immune system – Lesley decided to undergo a radical treatment called a Faecal Microbial Transplant (FMT).