All of this leads to the question: how and why do they continue to love exercise and sport when their bodies have been through so much?

“It’s been a struggle but never to the point where we felt like we couldn’t do it. That’s purely because we’ve done it together,” says Guilia. While their high-performance, hyper-focused athlete mindset means that they often don’t notice when they’re unable to perform, it’s been crucial to have each other and their dad around to check food labels and monitor blood glucose levels.

“When you’re focusing on your training and the race, you’re often too blinded to think about what your body is telling you. I think the most important thing for people training with these conditions is having someone who can check you’re functioning normally – that doesn’t have to be a coach, but just anyone to keep an eye on you,” adds Talia.

Coeliac disease, PCOS and exercise: how autoimmune and period conditions impact fitness