Bella Hadid Forced To Quit Olympic Dream Due To Chronic Illness

She may have one of the most famous surnames in the modelling world?at the moment, but Bella Hadid (baby sister of Gigi), didn’t always have her sights on a career in the fashion industry.

In fact, her dream was to excel in an entirely different field.?According to her mother, she dreamt of having a professional riding career and a shot at the Olympics, but her dreams it seems, will not become a reality as Hadid is battling Lyme Disease – an infectious disease transmitted to humans by deer ticks. Her symptoms are so severe that she is unable to ride, and thus unable to work towards achieving her goal.

The symptoms of this condition vary. Fever, fatigue, joint pain, memory loss and a stiff neck are just some of the indicators.

Hadid’s mother, Yolanda Foster, famous for her?role on The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills, shared the disappointment that her younger daughter recently suffered. She told Vogue:

“Bella had to give up her lifelong dream of having a professional riding career and a shot at the Olympics due to her severe symptoms and inability to ride,” Foster wrote. “This was the biggest heartbreak of her life and an extremely sensitive subject for her. She is resilient and focused on a new direction – she’s made a name for herself in the modelling industry while she struggles with symptoms of chronic Lyme every day.”

?Bella for @chanelofficial ……….. Words are not enough to express how proud I am of my baby girl….. #DreamsDoComeTrue #HardWorkDoesPayOff #grateful @karllagerfeld @AnneNelson @imgmodels #Chanel

A photo posted by YOLANDA (@yolandahfoster) on Jan 26, 2016 at 7:13am PST

Foster also struggles with the disease, as her brother,?and she hit back at those who apparently doubted that either of her children?had the condition at all.

“It’s one thing when your integrity is doubted, spoken of behind your back, but it strikes another chord when it’s your children. Bella and Anwar were diagnosed at the end of 2013 and have been in extensive holistic treatment ever since. It’s very common for multiple family members to be affected by Lyme disease. The children and I lived on a horse ranch in Santa Barbara for 10 years and spent the majority of our time outside in nature. I understand now that my soul is my power, not perfection or my ego. I continue to teach this to my children, despite their glamorous careers.”

Bella recently walked alongside Gigi in the prestigious Chanel Haute Couture show in Paris.

Singer Avril Lavigne and fashion designer Ashley Olsen also recently revealed they were battling the condition.

Via Vogue