British TV presenter in coma after contracting malaria on way to Rio

((C) 2015 Marco Venturini Autieri)

After traveling 3,000 miles in a charity cycling ride from London, a British TV sports presenter fell ill in Brazil, just days after watching the Olympic Opening Ceremony.

Charlie Webster, 33, who has worked for Sky and ITV, is now in a coma and on life support after contracting a rare strain of malaria, BBC News reported. Webster appeared to be in good health when she arrived in Brazil on August 4 after six weeks on the road.

On August 5, she was admitted to the hospital and doctors initially thought she was dehydrated after completing the six-week Ride to Rio challenge. They then realized she was suffering from a severe complication caused by a bacterial infection, according to a post on her Twitter feed.

The Ride to Rio challenge involves cycling from London to Portsmouth on the south coast, then flying to France where participants cycled 1,231 miles to Lisbon. The team then flew to Recife in northeast Brazil and cycled the final 1,600 miles to Rio de Janeiro.

Webster’s mother, brother and manager flew in from the UK to be with her, BBC News reported.