I was 6 years old and it was my first soccer practice. While eager to play with my friends, I was still new to the sport. I continuously tripped over the ball. However, my dad refused to let me turn away.
“Never give up!”, he shouted.
I would never know how important this phrase was until years later.
“I needed to heal my mind before my body could follow.”
Ironically, my mental health battle started off with a physical one. Between 2018 and 2020–in the midst of my GCSE exams and the beginning of the Covid-19 pandemic–I suffered two stress fractures in my lumbar vertebra bones. This left me struggling to walk. I had pain in most aspects of my life, from sleeping to sitting in class at school. Being unable to play soccer or any other sport for a prolonged period of time had removed a part of my life I didn’t know I needed so much. Not knowing what else to do, I was left with a winter of wasted hours in my bed, watching TV or scrolling on my phone.
Surrounded by friends who were reaching their own goals, I began to feel like I was a failure. My head was flooded with negative thoughts. I was depressed. The “never give up!” my Dad shouted years ago was now the thing that kept me going.
I eventually understood that I needed to heal my mind before my body could follow. I set off to do just that. I met with a counselor at school and learned to talk about my problems, something very difficult for men due to gender stereotypes and societal expectations.
“If you believe your cause is lost, I promise you it is not.”
One in five people experience a mental health problem every year. If we’re going to improve those numbers, mental health struggles have to be discussed. Yet, people say that men can’t talk about it; that mental health isn’t ‘masculine’ or ‘cool’. I can’t speak enough about how important it is to look after yourself, to take a break, and to heal. If you have a weight on your shoulders and believe your cause is lost, I promise you it is not. Please talk to someone. A family member, a friend, a professor–anyone. It may be a difficult decision, but it will be the right one.
As time went by, I kept close with my family and maintained communication with my counselor. Simultaneously, I had further MRI scans with intermittent physiotherapy to begin my rehabilitation process. While it took me a year and a half to get back to full physical fitness, I was finally able to play soccer again, and my mental health had improved.
“I forgot about the pain as I crossed the finish line.”
Then, the pandemic came. Whilst Covid ravaged the world, the UK announced our first national lockdown on March 19th, 2020. Determined not to let my mental health deteriorate, I took up running. On 18th April 2021, I ran my first (solo) marathon around London, raising over £1000 for Mind, a mental health charity. My friends and family ran small legs of the 26.2 miles with me, and I had support everywhere I looked. By the last mile, I was ridden with cramps, side-stitches, and blisters. My dad joined me for the last leg, shouting the same words:
“Never give up!”
I forgot about the pain as I crossed the finish line, full of pride.
“We can conquer any battle.”
As student-athletes, we are challenged mentally and physically every single day. Whether it's
lifting weights in the gym, running out on the field, or in the classroom focusing on our learning, there’s always a goal to reach. The hardest thing is to keep going, even when things seem impossible. But together, we can conquer any battle. Never give up!