PARALYMPIAN Marieke Vervoort has ended her life through euthanasia at the age of 40 after battling a degenerative muscle disease.

The Belgian wheelchair sprinter, who won gold at the London 2012 games, suffered from degenerative tetraplegia which caused constant pain, seizures and paralysis in her legs.

4 Wheelchair athlete Marieke Vervoot has ended her life through euthanasia Credit: Getty Images Europe

In 2008, Marieke signed legal papers which allowed doctors to eventually end her life on her terms.

A statement today from her hometown of Diest said she "responded to her choice on Tuesday evening".

In her final Instagram post, the athlete posted a pictured of herself competing along with the caption: "Can't forget the memories!"

Three years ago, Marieke said she was considering killing herself after the 2016 Rio games - in which she won a further two medals.

But the following month she said she was "still enjoying every little moment."

The Paralympian said: "When the moment comes when I have more bad days than good days, then I have my euthanasia papers, but the time is not there yet."

However, in 2017, she said the pain from her condition was becoming unbearable,

From her fifth-floor bedroom in Brussels University Hospital, the Belgian athlete told the Telegraph that her eyesight was also worsening.

4 Belgian Paralympic star Marieke Vervoort signed legal papers in 2008 confirming she wanted to one day end her life Credit: Marieke Vervoort / Twitter

4 Marieke Vervoot suffered from an incurable spinal disease that left her in agony Credit: Getty Images Europe

She said: "An optician saw me and rated one eye two out of ten, and the other just one. He said there was nothing he could do, because the problem was coming from my brain.

"Then a neurologist stayed with me the whole night while I had one spasm after another. She said it wasn’t an epileptic seizure but just the body screaming, 'I'm in so much pain. I’m done.'"

Marieke, who was born with the full use of her legs, suffered from a torturous and incurable spinal disease which slowly destroyed her limbs as she grew older.

Once an active teenager who enjoyed basketball and deep sea diving, she began to develop infections in her Achilles which forced her to walk on her toes.

Soon she needed crutches and eventually, her legs stopped working altogether.

UNBEARABLE PAIN

Doctors said her rare and cruel paralysis may have been triggered by a deformity between the fifth and sixth vertebrae - but struggle to pin down the reason for her intolerable pain.

Her decision to sign euthanasia papers eight years ago re-ignited the debate on assisted suicide but it has been perfectly legal in Belgium since 2012.

It is available to all who exhibit an incurable condition, intolerable pain, rational decision making abilities and the have the agreement of two doctors.

Marieke adds: "I didn’t want to accept that I would end up in a wheelchair.

"But in 2000 I couldn’t do it any longer, although I was still able to use my stomach and my back muscles. Even that has become less and less.

"Now I’m paralysed all the way to my breasts. My finger function is going down as well. I have such a strong heart, but the pain medication is doing nothing any more.

"They have given me so many injections that everything is broken and hard. Sometimes the liquid goes in and comes straight back out."

4 Marieke, who was born with the full use of her legs, suffers from a torturous and incurable spinal disease Credit: Getty Images - Getty