Morgan Lake on competing while her father was in a coma: 'I really wanted to make dad proud'

Morgan Lake discussed competing while her father was in a coma, describing how she tried to stay connected through her high-jump updates. The British record holder in the women’s high jump said she continued sending messages about competitions, even though her father, Eldon, would not read or respond. Eldon was placed into a near two-month coma a little over three years ago after worsening back pain, eventually diagnosed with Acute Necrotising Rhomboencephalitis (ANRE), linked to COVID-19. During recovery, Eldon recalled vivid hallucinations, while the family slowly rebuilt memory and routine. While dealing with his health, Lake set the then-British record of 1.99 meters shortly before his diagnosis and has since surpassed it. She said continuing to compete, even with his condition precarious, was a difficult but necessary step. Eldon, a former triple jumper, had coached her through her rise in British athletics.