Sacre blue! Former Commonwealth Games swimmer left with a French accent after suffering a stroke during training
A former Commonwealth Games swimmer has revealed he has a French accent after suffering a stroke during training.
Jersey athlete Jack Allan was rushed to hospital with a brain haemorrhage after being kicked in the head during a mixed martial arts session at Loughborough University in October. The bizarre accident left him temporarily paralyzed and unable to speak.
But when he recovered, he started speaking in a French tone, leading doctors to diagnose him with ‘foreign accent syndrome’ – a rare condition usually caused by a stroke or head trauma.
Allan, 21, who competed in the 2022 Commonwealth Games, said: “I immediately noticed my French accent. And the more tired or frustrated I became, the more French it became.”
Jersey athlete Jack Allan was rushed to hospital with a brain haemorrhage
The bizarre accident left him temporarily paralyzed and unable to speak
He was kicked in the head during a mixed martial arts session at Loughborough University in October
The painful injury left him paralyzed on the right side and he could no longer communicate. After two weeks, Allan was flown back to Jersey for his rehabilitation. It was here that the French accent emerged.
Allan told The Mail on Sunday: ‘I’ve spent a lot of time getting my British accent back. My goal is that the French does not leak away at all.’