Olympics gold medallist diagnosed with Alzheimer's at 57 says he has no fear

An Olympic gold medallist who scored two goals for Great Britain in the men’s hockey team final at the 1988 Olympic Games, says he no longer fights against the disease and is not afraid of it.

British hockey legend Imran Sherwani has revealed he was diagnosed with early-onset Alzheimer’s disease at the age of 57 and went from “fighting the disease to accepting it, and that has made every day easier to live through”.

The 59 year-old said: “I do not have fears about the future because I have always been very positive. I have had a brilliant life, I have achieved a lot in my career and with my family, so I can’t complain.”

Forgetting names was ‘very frustrating’

Imran Sherwani first noticed something was wrong in 2014 when he began to have difficulties remembering things. As his symptoms worsened, he struggled in his job as director of hockey and a teacher at a school and had to retire.

Imran Sherwani said: “At first my mood changed and I became withdrawn. I wanted to be on my own and not talk to people.

"I started to struggle with tasks that ordinarily I would be quick to do, such as DIY. I also had difficulties in my job, such as forgetting pupils’ names, which was very frustrating.

“We weren’t sure what was causing it and thought it might be stress. I was initially dismissive of it. I knew I needed help, but I found it difficult to admit it.

“Eventually it got to the point that I was on the edge of breaking down because the situation had put such a strain on me, so I went to the doctor.”

The hockey star’s visit to the doctor led to a three-year journey of tests and brain scans and a diagnosis of Alzheimer’s disease in 2019.

“I hope that dementia research can help improve diagnosis so other people won’t have to go through the lengthy and difficult process I went through,” he added.

The hockey athlete's 1988 Seoul Olympics team mate Steve Batchelor has set up a Virgin Money London Marathon team to run on 3 October in Imran’s honour to raise money for Alzheimer’s Research UK.

The London Marathon team is called ‘Going for Gold’ and includes Imran’s son Zac and people connected to the 1988 Olympic hockey team.

Steve Batchelor said: “All of the 1988 Olympics team are still very close but, as we were both forwards, I have a particularly close relationship with Imran. We are good friends and our families are close as well.

'Didn't realise it could affect someone as young as Imran'

“When I heard he had been diagnosed with Alzheimer’s it was a shock. At the time I didn’t know a lot about Alzheimer’s. I thought of it as something older people get. I didn’t realise it could affect someone as young as Imran.

“You feel helpless when someone you are close to is diagnosed with Alzheimer’s, so putting together this team for the London Marathon is something positive I can do to help.

“The team has just grown and grown. Quite a few of the people involved in the team have their own connections to the cause, with family members and friends affected by dementia.

“We are determined to raise as much money as we can for Alzheimer’s Research UK to help find breakthroughs so in the future people won’t have to go through what Imran and his family are going through.”

Hilary Evans, chief executive of Alzheimer’s Research UK, said: “We are so grateful to Imran for speaking out about his Alzheimer’s disease diagnosis.

"There are nearly 1 million people in the UK living with Alzheimer’s disease and other forms of dementia, but there can still be stigma and misunderstanding.

“Imran and his team-mates became household names thanks to their iconic victory at the 1988 Olympics. To have someone of Imran’s standing speaking out about his diagnosis will help enormously to raise awareness of dementia.

“Today, there are no effective treatments to slow, stop or prevent the diseases that cause dementia, but our scientists are working hard to change that."

To date (2 June), almost £5,000 has been raised by the Going for Gold London Marathon team for Alzheimer's Research. Donations can be made by visiting the Going for Gold JustGiving fundraising page.