Main content

The pasta dish that saved a basketballer鈥檚 life

Were it not for three large helpings of pasta carbonara, former professional basketballer Sebastien Bellin might not have survived a bomb attack at Brussels airport.

On the evening of 21 March 2016 the Belgian former basketballer Sebastien Bellin was ready for bed. Tired after travelling and with an empty stomach, it was only a friend鈥檚 insistence they eat that he had anything at all. Three helpings of a rich pasta carbonara, the sort of pre-game meal he was used to having, would be the difference between life and death. The following morning, rushing to catch a flight Sebastien's legs were shattered and he lost half his blood when a bomb went off close to him. Fuelled by that carbohydrate-rich meal, he was able to fight his way to safety. But he was told he might never walk again. Lying in his hospital bed he vowed to recover and get back to playing sport. It took him five years, but incredibly, he attempted an Ironman endurance race in Hawaii and even stood face-to-face with the bombers.

Presenter: Mobeen Azhar
Producer: Edgar Maddicott

Get in touch: outlook@bbc.com or WhatsApp +44 330 678 2707

Photo: Sebastien Bellin crosses the finish line at the Kona Ironman, October 2022. Credit: Getty

Available now

41 minutes

Broadcasts

  • Thu 3 Aug 2023 11:06GMT
  • Thu 3 Aug 2023 17:06GMT
  • Thu 3 Aug 2023 21:06GMT
  • Fri 4 Aug 2023 02:06GMT

Contact Outlook

Contact Outlook

Info on how we might use your contribution on air

Podcast: Lives Less Ordinary

Podcast: Lives Less Ordinary

Step into someone else鈥檚 life and expect the unexpected