Sadie Bristow had Wimbledon dreams, but after one day that all changed

It’s definitely not a common occurrence for a person like me to be at a loss for words and holding back tears, especially when sitting at my desk at 8:30 A.M. on a Monday morning.

But nearly two months ago, after finishing up one particular phone call at work, that was very much the case.

The moment felt surreal, and it came quickly and unannounced. Because this particular story I was working on dealt with an immeasurable loss that came unexpectedly.

Not the type of heart-breaking loss we associate with tennis, where one person is on the verge of victory and comes up short of achieving their lifelong dream.

The pain associated with the loss in this story is unforgettable and all too real. It’s irreversible and unfathomable. It’s a rollercoaster of uncontrollable feelings that runs the full gamut of emotions, from admiration to sadness.

The person on the other end of that phone call was Clare Bristow. A mother of three daughters, her middle child, Sadie, was the No. 1-ranked nine-and-under tennis player in all of the United Kingdom. Her dream was to become a professional tennis player so she could have the opportunity to play at Wimbledon one day.

Sadie’s love for the sport came from her father Stewart, a full-time tennis coach, who spent countless hours on court building both her game and her passion for the sport from an early age.

Watching video of Sadie move on a tennis court, you could tell she was very athletic. She went after every ball with the same relentlessness as Rafael Nadal at Roland Garros.

And much like Rafa at Roland Garros, Sadie dominated her competition She won six regional events in the United Kingdom, and over 40 tournaments in her most recent season.

With all this success, it was hard to believe that Sadie was battling another opponent at the same time. Ever since early childhood, she was diagnosed with both asthma and allergies which affected Sadie and those closest to her everyday. Her family was well aware of the potential dangers of her medical condition and took extreme precautions on a daily basis.

From baking separate dishes for Sadie on holidays to living in a home with all hardwood floors to avoid pollen and dust, the Bristow family safeguarded Sadie as best as they could.

But on August 19th of last year, while on a family picnic celebrating younger sister April’s first birthday, Sadie suffered an unexpected allergic reaction to food she ate, and she soon after went into anaphylactic shock.

The medications Sadie normally took in these situations had no effect on this day. She was rushed to the closest clinic and was eventually taken by helicopter to St. George’s Hospital in London, located only a couple miles away from Wimbledon.

After 45 minutes and 17 shots of adrenaline, Sadie was in cardiac arrest too long. What was expected to be a day of celebration quickly turned into every parent’s worst nightmare: seeing your own child pass before your eyes.

I flew out to Canterbury, England a month after our initial phone call to meet the Bristow family in person for the first time. And while I had many questions for them, I also knew that they were still very much in the process of searching for answers themselves.

The one takeaway I think everyone can have from watching this Sadie Bristow feature (above, and below) is that life is precious. It’s all too easy to take people and moments in our lives for granted, assuming that they will always be there tomorrow. Live in the present and love those around you everyday as if it’s your last moment together.

The Sadie Bristow Foundation was created last year to continue Sadie’s legacy by inspiring more children like her to take up sports and to improve allergy education.

We often look up to athletes in our society as a source of strength and as role models. I look up to the Bristow family for their courage as they move forward to keep Sadie’s story and spirit alive.

—Nitin Varma, Senior Producer and Director, Tennis Channel