Step Inside Emil Johansson’s Battle With Autoimmune Disorders
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You might know Emil Johansson from his monumental success as a slopestyle mountain biker, with podium-topping runs on the FMB World Tour and Crankworx, including winning Red Bull Joyride in 2019. However, in between his near-perfect riding, Johansson has battled with Epstein-Barr virus and Hashimoto’s disease, leaving him unable to ride or train for months at a time. This week, he’s lining back up to fight for slopestyle gold at Crankworx Rotorua.
Battling autoimmune diseases was a long road for the young Swede. “Before I got diagnosed, I didn’t know what was going on," he says, "Why is this happening to me, over and over again? Why am I getting sick and why I am feeling miserable? It’s really hard for me to stay healthy while training hard and it’s tough mentally to be comfortable with taking a step back, thinking about the future, rather than just riding flat out all the time."
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Emil's winning run at Red Bull Joyride. Paris Gore photo.
