The Gymnast Allergic to Exercise

Published: April 1, 2017, 9:58 a.m.

Natasha Coates suffers with a rare condition called Mast Cell Activation Syndrome. It means her body struggles to fight disease and makes her allergic to many everyday things, including exercise. However it hasn't stopped Natasha pursuing her sporting dreams. Although not a Paralympic discipline, last week Natasha won a medal on every piece of apparatus at the British championships. Despite spending more time in the hospital than training, she says gymnastics is helping her stay alive. The Persian Potter: Hossein Vafaei is enjoying best performance at a major ranking event this week. On Saturday he’ll face Wales’ Mark Williams for a place in the final of the China Open. Being Iran’s only professional player has many challenges. Hossien has been telling us about trying to make it without a sponsor, a coach and battles with visa applications. Democratising Football: We speak to Patrick Arnesson a man trying to what he calls ‘democratise football'. He tells us of his recent discussions on creating a fan position on the board of FIFA. We also hear from some of the children benefiting from the football academy in Cambodia Arnesson has funded with profits from his successful 'Forza Football' app. The Original Beach Boys: For the first time ever, surfing will feature at the 2020 Olympic Games in Tokyo. It's a sport practiced all over the planet, from Australia's golden beaches to California's wild Pacific shores - but where did it all begin? Well to find out, Sportshour's Simon Parker has embarked on a particularly tough assignment to the tropical islands of Hawaii, to meet the beach boys of Waikiki. Photo: Photo: Natasha Coates with medals. Credit: Natasha Coates