Olympic legend Denise Lewis will receive a coveted MOBO award in Newcastle on Tuesday evening 25 years after her Sydney Olympics success
Denise Lewis rose to fame with her epic achievements as an athlete and she is now set to get her hands on another coveted award.
The Olympic legend will be in Newcastle to attend the annual MOBO Awards at the Utilita Arena. While she is best known for taking home gold in the Heptathlon in thrilling style at the Sydney Olympics in 2000, she has kept her name in the limelight with a regular punditry role for the BBC.
Now, she is set to be awarded the Paving The Way award at the 27th MOBOs tonight. A statement on the MOBOs Instagram read: “A champion on the track. A trailblazer in sport. A powerhouse on our screens. We are proud to honour the phenomenal @realdeniselewis with the Outstanding Contribution to Sport Award at the 2025 #MOBOAwards.
“From making history in athletics to breaking barriers in broadcasting, Denise has paved the way for future generations with her talent, determination, and grace. An icon in British sport and an inspiring woman who continues to elevate the game—both on and off the track. A true force. A living legend. Denise Lewis, we salute you. Join us as we celebrate her legacy and accomplishments live from Newcastle on 18 February.”
Here the Mirror looks at Denise’s life away from the Olympic arena as she gets ready to collect her latest accolade
Incurable health condition
Denise had to contend with severe Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) while competing. Speaking with Saga Magazine previously, Denise explained: “Even at the top of my athletics career it was really bad and I’d frequently have to excuse myself early in training sessions to find the loo. Things came to a head in 2022 when the ducts in my gallbladder blocked and I needed a stent operation. I also got an infection which led to sepsis.”
IBS is a condition which affects a person’s digestive system. It results in diarrhoea, constipation and painful bloating. Unfortunately, it is incurable.
Denise first started to experience symptoms at the age of just 19. Then, she found herself doubled up in agony on a friend’s floor. She revealed she had suffered for 30 long years before eventually finding some relief. In 2023, she told the Mirror: “It’s been a constant factor in my life. I have been on the floor on cold tiles with the sweat just pouring out of me because of the pain. There’s this knotting sensation which intensifies and at its peak, I would be almost delirious with pain. Then you start to feel it subsiding and sometimes there’s the passing of gas, which is not pleasant. Being out could be so awful.”
She added: “I had many evenings when I was going to charity functions or awards ceremonies and dreading it. I knew that I was going to struggle during my meal as I may get a cramping episode at the table and have to excuse myself.”
Thankfully, Denise has been able to manage her IBS in recent years. She thanks a mix of moderation, diet and awareness and has become far more comfortable about discussing a condition which is still so stigmatised, after years of feeling embarrassed about her ‘flatulence’.
Welcoming her fourth baby at 46
Denise assumed she was pre-menopausal when she noticed her body beginning to change at 46. However, it turned out she was pregnant with her fourth child. She told Hello! magazine in 2018: “I really wasn’t well – feeling feverish then cold – so I went to the doctor to find out if I had flu and they did a blood test. I thought: ‘Okay, this is it. I’m pre-menopausal. Then Steve [her talent manager husband Steve Finan O’Connor], said: ‘Are you sure you’re not pregnant?’ ‘Hmm I didn’t think of that; let’s check’. Then: ‘Oh my goodness – it is possible’.”
Denise was already mum to Lauryn, Ryan, and Kane, when she welcomed little Troy. She described him as her ‘saviour’ during the pandemic. “The time that I’ve been able to spend with him has just been golden,” she said at the time. “I can’t begin to tell you, appreciating this fourth bundle of joy. None of my other children had quite this immersive experience with me, which I guess, is just a reflection of where I’m at the stage of my life because obviously, I was very busy before still trying to be an athlete with Lauryn.
“And now the fourth child just came at the perfect time in my life. I’ve been able to spend so much time with him. All his milestones have just been there, effervescent and in my face, and I’ve loved every second of it.”
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