Marlen Reusser, the Swiss rider and three-time European time trial champion, has disclosed her battle with Long COVID and her remarkable journey back to full health. Speaking earlier this week, the 33-year-old shared her relief at returning to a normal life after a challenging year. “I am healthy again and have my old life back,” she told Blick.
Reusser’s troubles began in February 2024 when she contracted COVID-19, followed by a crash in March during the Tour of Flanders that left her with a broken jaw and severe damage to her auditory canals and teeth. Despite these setbacks, she returned to racing in May but soon found herself grappling with extreme fatigue, ultimately forcing her to step away from competition mid-month.
“It got to the point where I couldn’t even get out of bed,” Reusser revealed. “You try to do something, and it only makes you sicker. There were moments when I seriously doubted whether I’d ever be able to get back on a bike. We couldn’t figure out what was wrong.”
Eventually, doctors diagnosed her with Long COVID, setting the stage for a long and arduous recovery process.
Photo Credit: GettyHypnosis and the path to recovery
Reusser credits an unconventional method – hypnosis – for aiding her recovery. Initially sceptical, the trained physician decided to try the approach after finding an audio file online. She described listening to it repeatedly, feeling improvement after each session.
“I was physically ill, so I doubted whether anything in my mind could make a difference in my body,” Reusser admitted during a press conference. “But it worked, and it’s completely changed how I view traditional medicine. I now see the body and mind as less separate than I used to.”
Reusser also acknowledged that hypnosis might not work for everyone and suggested her recovery could partly be attributed to spontaneous healing, a phenomenon not uncommon in the first six months for Long COVID patients.
Looking ahead
Now fully recovered, Reusser is preparing to make her debut for Movistar in January after signing a three-year contract with the Spanish team. Her plans for 2025 include leading the team in the Vuelta, Giro, and Tour, with her ultimate goal being the World Championships in Rwanda in late September.
“I’m training at full capacity again and making great progress with every session,” she said. “The World Championships title is my big objective.”
Reusser’s comeback marks a new chapter in her career as she shifts her focus from recovery to high-performance racing. The Swiss rider will start her 2025 season at a race in Mallorca at the end of January, ready to reclaim her place among the world’s best.
