Denmark Open: A Step Forward for Deprez in Battle With Apnea
For Fabienne Deprez, the first round win at the DANISA Denmark Open 2020 was not just about taking one step further in the tournament. It was far more significant, answering a fundamental question of who she was in…
· DEV SUKUMAR
For Fabienne Deprez, the first round win at the DANISA Denmark Open 2020 was not just about taking one step further in the tournament. It was far more significant, answering a fundamental question of who she was in the face of a deep personal crisis.
Two months ago, Deprez was diagnosed with sleep apnea -- she couldn’t breathe while sleeping at night. Unable to rest and recover after training, her future as a badminton player was in doubt.
“I haven’t been able to train for the last two months,” an emotional Deprez, constantly wiping tears, said. “Before that I played very badly because when you don’t breathe at night you can’t recover, and I was so sleepy all day, and I was injured because my body couldn’t sleep and recover. Even before two months I was not able to practice. I don’t know how I managed to win this game.”