Charlie Webster told how she was doing left with post-traumatic stress disorder after a near-death experience and abuse as a teenager.
The Sky Sports presenter, 41, was given 24 hours to live after her death contracted a rare form of malaria in 2016 after a charity bike ride.
The broadcaster has opened up about her struggles in her new book Why It's OK To Talk About Trauma, which she hopes will destigmatize the discussion about mental health.
Charlie became ill after attending the 2016 opening ceremony Olympics after completing a 3000 mile cycle ride from London and onwards Brazil.
Charlie thought it was just a stomach flu and went to a hospital to look for tablets. He was then put into a medically induced coma and given 24 hours to live.
Charlie Webster has told how she developed post-traumatic stress disorder after a near-death experience and was abused as a teenager
The 41-year-old Sky Sports presenter was given 24 hours to live after contracting a rare form of malaria after a charity cycle ride in 2016
She managed to pull through and was flown back to Britain to continue her recovery, which included learning to walk again.
Speak with Fantastic magazinetold Charlie what a deeply traumatic experience this was for her.
She said: 'I felt absolutely heartbroken. I felt like my career was over. I felt like I would never be myself again. I didn't recognize myself emotionally, mentally or physically.'
Charlie had frequent flashbacks of being in a coma and of the sexual abuse she suffered as a teenager.
After suffering a panic attack while on the train from Leeds to London, Charlie sought professional help from a therapist.
She initially struggled with the sessions and found it very difficult to let her guard down and open up.
Her hesitation may stem from experiences during her adolescence, including being raised by a controlling stepfather.
Charlie told how he was so controlling towards her and her mother Joy that she was even afraid to get up to go to the toilet at night because she would be sent away for making any noise.
The broadcaster has opened up about her struggles in her new book Why It's OK To Talk About Trauma, which she hopes will destigmatize the discussion about mental health.
Charlie fell ill after attending the opening ceremony of the 2016 Olympic Games after cycling 3,000 miles from London and through Brazil
The presenter was also abused by her athletics coach Paul North at the age of 15 convicted of multiple charges of sexual assault and one charge of rape in 2002 and sentenced to ten years in prison.
In the BBC documentary Nowhere to Run: Abused by Our Coach, Charlie described the first time North attacked her, revealing that he lured her to a private session on the pretext of helping her improve her bladder control.
She recalled being “frozen” with fear when North sexually assaulted her, and said that because the attack was not “done in a violent way” it was harder to spot, adding that “people see the bruises in can't see your head'. .
North was arrested when Charlie was 19 and she recalled reading a newspaper article detailing his crimes: 'It was only then that I realized I wasn't the only one he had abused. I just felt completely embarrassed.”
She later added, “Over the years, my coach has really gotten into my head. I knew it was wrong, but I didn't know what to call it. Only when I read the newspaper at the age of 19 did I understand that he also groomed and abused me.'
At the age of 15, the presenter was abused by her athletics coach Paul North (left), who was convicted in 2002 of multiple charges of sexual assault and one count of rape and sentenced to ten years in prison.
In the BBC documentary Nowhere to Run: Abused by Our Coach, Charlie broke down in tears as she recalled the horrific abuse she suffered at the hands of her running coach.
Charlie was so ashamed of the abuse that she kept it a secret for twenty years.
The star, who previously dated Downton Abbey star Allen Leech, believes the abuse has affected her ability to form romantic relationships.
She said: 'I found myself sometimes repeating patterns of behavior, or getting into relationships that I knew weren't very good for me.
“Some of the more secure relationships felt more unsafe because I was constantly waiting for that person to find out I had been abused.”
However, Charlie has found that therapy has helped her heal and she hopes to one day have a relationship and children.
The Rape Crisis England and Wales helpline is available on 0808 500 2222.