Myopericarditis is a combination of both myocarditis (inflammation of the heart) and pericarditis (inflammation of the pericardium, the sac that covers the heart) appearing in a single individual.
It has been the most recent hurdle for Gigante to overcome in what has been an interrupted start to her career in the professional ranks. The vibrant and exciting talent has excelled in racing when she's been fit, but those occasions have been few and far between as she has suffered crashes and travel restrictions that have seen her kept out of the majority of her first two seasons at the top level of cycling.
Gigante worked hard to get back into shape after a horror crash during Fleche Wallonne which saw her sustain multiple fractures. She was able to finish 11th at the Tokyo Olympics after that disrupted lead-in, and she was looking forward to the rest of the year before experiencing a serious setback as she prepared for the second half of the 2021 season.
"Sarah started experiencing severe chest pains in early August that had her hospitalized in Girona," TIBCO-SVB founder Linda Jackson said. "It was an incredibly scary time for Sarah, her family, her teammates, and all of those that know her."
It was also a very frustrating time medically. Despite recurrent admissions to the hospital, medical experts at several hospitals did not initially diagnose the cause of the chest pains. It is now known that Sarah had myopericarditis.
Her health situation, and limited flights into Australia, made it difficult, but Gigante finally flew home to Melbourne in late October. She has been spending some time on the bike since, mostly e-bike rides due to her health.
"It will take some time for Gigante to get back to full-time training, but at this point, I am just delighted that Sarah is on the mend," Jackson said. "Heart conditions are always scary, and we were very concerned for her health.
"Sarah is an incredibly talented cyclist, and she is also a wonderful person. I am so happy to see her smiling again. The cycling world has only seen the beginning of what Gigante has to offer. It's been a very frustrating two years for Sarah and the team, as we know what she has to offer the cycling world.
"We will miss her as she moves on to Movistar next year, but we will always take delight in seeing her results as she returns to her dominant form in the coming years. For me personally, I am hugely relieved that this youngster is on the mend and has a lifetime ahead of her."
Gigante, 21, has signed a three-year deal with Movistar that will conclude at the end of 2024, a rare level of security in the women's side of the sport for such a young rider. She is one of the most positive characters within the sport, her generous and kind spirit buoying her along with her family and friends throughout the diagnosis process.
"It's been a really rough few months since Tokyo - I would never have guessed that this would have happened to me," Gigante said. "It was not nice being alone in Spain when it all started, but I am a very lucky person in that I have the best support network ever. My brother, and later, my mum, both flew over to be with me.
"It was also nice to be with my teammate and housemate Kristen Faulkner once she came back from her races. I had many of Team TIBCO-Silicon Valley Bank checking in on me, and even received valuable help from team friends in Dr. Frederick St Goar and Dr. Max Testa."
Gigante's tentative first pedal strokes back on the bike are a long way from the peloton-dropping efforts that fans of the sport are used to seeing from the Victorian prodigy, but are part of the process to get her back to where she wants to be.
"I am feeling so much better now but have to ease back into cycling slowly, just to be cautious," said Gigante. "It is a bit frustrating, but I'm mainly very happy that I am on the road to recovery and looking forward to getting back out there in the new year.
"Thanks again to Linda, Rachel (Hedderman), my teammates, sponsors and supporters, and everyone else at Team TIBCO-Silicon Valley Bank for the last two years. It's not how I wanted to finish my time with the team, but it shows how supportive this team really is. I'll see you all out there at the races next year!"
Gigante has maintained her positive outlook throughout her health scare, her indefatigable nature sure to see her return to top competition with her goals stated in a recent interview with SBS Cycling Central to be later in the 2022 season.
