A former Commonwealth Games swimmer has revealed he has been left with a French accent after suffering a stroke while training.
Jersey athlete Jack Allan was rushed to hospital with a bleed on the brain after being kicked in the head during a mixed martial arts session at Loughborough University in October. The freak accident left him temporarily paralysed and unable to speak.
But as he recovered, he began talking with a French twang, leading doctors to diagnose him with foreign accent syndrome – a rare condition usually triggered by a stroke or head trauma.
Allan, 21, who swam in the 2022 Commonwealth Games, said: ‘I noticed my French accent straight away. And the more tired or frustrated I got, the more French it became.’
Jersey athlete Jack Allan was rushed to hospital with a bleed on the brain
The freak accident left him temporarily paralysed and unable to speak
He had been kicked in the head during a mixed martial arts session at Loughborough University in October
The distressing injury left him paralysed on the right side and unable to communicate. After two weeks, Allan was flown back to Jersey for his rehabilitation. It was here that the French drawl emerged.
Allan told The Mail on Sunday: ‘I’ve spent a lot of time to get my British accent back. My goal is to have the French one not leak out at all.’
