Jack Fitzwater on colitis diagnosis: 'I was embarrassed going to the toilet 30 times a day'

"I was going to the toilet between 20-30 times a day. It was embarrassing and difficult from a mental and physical side. I was thinking to myself deep down, am I going to have to quit football?"

On the pitch, footballer Jack Fitzwater appeared to be at the peak of health and fitness, making more than 100 appearances for Scottish Premiership side Livingston between 2020 and 2023 before joining Exeter City last summer.

But off the pitch, the 26-year-old defender was suffering with an intolerable health issue that was affecting every aspect of his life.

"It started with having an urgency to go to the toilet," he told BBC Sport. "I thought it might be something I'd eaten or maybe I was lacking in iron.

"I made loads of excuses up to myself and hid it from everyone. Every time I went out, I'd be thinking about where the nearest toilet was in case I had the urgency to go.

"Every time I went to the toilet, there was blood in it. After matches, I was finding that my recovery was taking longer; I was tired all the time, no matter how much sleep I got."

Fitzwater was able to mask his symptoms, but only for so long. It was during a family holiday in Ibiza last summer that he reached breaking point.

Jack, far right, sitting next to girlfriend Emma and with family on holiday in Ibiza just before his diagnosis last summer

He spoke to his GP on his return, and after multiple tests he was diagnosed with severe ulcerative colitis.

"I was going to the toilet 20, 30, sometimes 40 times a day," said Fitzwater.

"I was waking up at 03:00 in the morning, going downstairs to reception and going to local toilets outside of the hotel, just to try and disguise it.

"I didn't want my family to know about it at the time. I thought I was invisible to deal with it on my own.

"I think as a man, we think there's a stigma around not going to see your doctor - that it's a weakness and it's embarrassing.

"But it doesn't really pass unless you've got the right medication to deal with it."

According to the NHS, ulcerative colitis - which Fitzwater admits he had never heard of - is a long-term condition where the colon and rectum become inflamed.

The main symptoms include recurring diarrhoea, which may contain blood, plus stomach pain and needing to have regular bowel movements.

Fitzwater joins more than 296,000 people in the UK who have been diagnosed with ulcerative colitis, according to the Crohn's & Colitis UK charity report. This equates to at least one in every 227 people.

Other high-profile athletes to have discussed their colitis are former Manchester United and Scotland midfielder Darren Fletcher, Olympic swimmer Siobhan Marie O'Connor, who had to retire because of the "debilitating" condition, and ex-England rugby union captain Lewis Moody.

Fitzwater added: "I knew of the word Crohn's but not colitis, so then I went on Instagram and Twitter to check out what it was.

"You think it's the end of the world at the time. But then when you know there's medication that can help you, you feel better about it."

Ulcerative colitis can develop at any age but is most often diagnosed in people aged between 15 and 25 years old.

Fitzwater was put on medication which he says has made him feel better than ever before.

Jack Fitzwater has found a new home at Exeter City this season

Since joining League One side Exeter in September, he says the club, the manager and the players have given him their full support. He also decided to post on his private social media account in December to coincide with Crohn's and Colitis Awareness Week and tell people about his diagnosis.

"The reaction to my post was great. About four or five people got back to me after the post, saying 'I've been struggling with this for years', or 'I've been having similar symptoms and I'm going to go and see a GP'.

"So I thought on that small reach, if I actually publicly say 'I'm a footballer. We are normal humans. We have day-to-day problems and vulnerabilities' then people might think, 'You know what, if he can do it and speak to a doctor, so can I'."

Fitzwater has also become a member of Crohn's and Colitis UK, who have given him a special card and a master key which allows him to access more than 9,000 locked public toilets.

"Because it's a hidden disability and people see a young, fit, healthy man using disabled toilets, they might give me a strange look," said Fitzwater.

"But little things like the card and the key are massive for the community that I'm now a part of."

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