Tip: tap a highlighted word to see its meaning in Urdu.
Beth Dobbin, who ran at the Tokyo Olympics, now spends most of her day in bed with ME.
Level 1 · Easy
Beth Dobbin ran for Great Britain at the Tokyo Olympics in 2021. Now she is 32 years old and stays lying down almost all day long.
She has a severe called ME. There is no for this disease. It causes terrible pain and extreme tiredness that does not get better with rest.
Beth got sick after having Covid and glandular fever. She hopes to help others by talking about her hard story.
Level 2 · Medium
Beth Dobbin represented Great Britain at the Tokyo Olympics five years ago. Today, at 32 years old, she remains in her room nearly the entire day due to a severe called ME, or myalgic encephalomyelitis.
The condition causes extreme , sleep problems, pain, and trouble with memory. There is no known or specific for the disease. Beth first became ill after catching Covid and glandular fever in the winter of 2021-2022. Her health slowly got worse during a busy season of races, and she now only leaves her house to eat and use the bathroom.
Beth decided to speak publicly about her situation to raise . Because she was an athlete for many years, she feels she has a platform to help others who are not believed when they get sick. Her family supports her, and her younger sister is running a race through Yorkshire to support scientists studying this condition.
Level 3 · Real news English
Beth Dobbin, who ran for Great Britain at the Tokyo Olympics five years ago, now rests for nearly the entire day after being diagnosed with a severe and incurable called ME, or myalgic encephalomyelitis. At 32 years old, she only leaves her bed to eat and use the bathroom, having left her house on just five occasions this year.
The debilitating condition causes such as chronic , sleep problems, pain, and cognitive issues. Dobbin first noticed symptoms during the winter of 2021-22 after back-to-back infections of Covid and glandular fever. Despite feeling unwell, she continued to compete in major events like the World Championships, Commonwealth Games, and European Championships. Her health progressively deteriorated until specialists confirmed she had ME, a disease with no known or specific .
Dobbin chose to speak out about her condition to raise and help others with the illness who often struggle to be believed. While she describes her future as bleak, she hopes that increased attention and funding since the pandemic will eventually lead to a treatment. Meanwhile, her family helps care for her, and her younger sister Faye is running the Yorkshire Marathon to fund scientific study into this sickness.
Words to learn
- cure — علاج (elaj): a medicine or medical treatment that heals an illness “Scientists are trying to find a cure for the disease.”
- fatigue — تھکن (thakan): extreme tiredness “Long hours of work caused great fatigue.”
- illness — بیماری (beemari): a disease or period of being sick “She stayed home from school due to an illness.”
- symptoms — علامات (alamat): signs that show a person has a disease “Fever and cough are common symptoms of the flu.”
- treatment — علاج (elaj): medical care given to a patient “The doctor recommended a new treatment.”
- independence — آزادی (azadi): freedom from being controlled by others “Moving to a new city gave him total independence.”
- awareness — آگاہی (agahi): knowledge or understanding of a subject “The campaign aims to raise awareness about safety.”
- research — تحقیق (hqeeqat): the detailed study of a subject to discover new facts “University labs do important medical research.”
Quick quiz
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Which event did Beth Dobbin run in five years ago?
- Tokyo Olympics
- Commonwealth Games
- World Championships
- Yorkshire Marathon
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What illness has Beth Dobbin been diagnosed with?
- Long Covid
- Glandular fever
- ME
- Chronic fatigue syndrome only
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How many hours a day does Beth spend in bed now?
- Less than 10 hours
- Around 15 hours
- More than 22 hours
- Exactly 20 hours
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What does the word "cure" mean?
- Extreme tiredness
- Signs of a disease
- A medical treatment that heals
- Detailed study of a subject
-
Who is running the Yorkshire Marathon to raise money for ME research?
- Her father Jim
- Her mother Jean
- Her sister Faye
- Her doctor

