Earlier this year, I planned a “challenge” to try and meet a number of top-class netballers who had been randomly chosen from a list of fifty of the sport’s biggest names.
As with pretty much everything I’ve attempted over nearly six years, the idea was to highlight the importance of talking about mental health, and that it is always fine to ask for help if you are struggling.
A trip to Coventry to watch the Super League game between Wasps and London Pulse gave me the chance to spend a few minutes in the company of the home side’s England international shooter, Rachel Dunn; and the following month I drove down to Worcester for a lunch appointment with the recently-retired South African shooter Maryka Holtzhausen – officially the furthest I’ve ever travelled for a bite to eat.
Unfortunately, the next couple of months proved quite difficult and I took the decision to step back from raising awareness of mental health to look after my own. I felt guilty about (what I perceived as) letting people down; but I knew only too well that I needed time to deal with some of the more negative effects of the condition I’ve had for most of my life.
It's now October and I am feeling stronger, so much so that I recently recorded a song as part of a one-off band called One Take Charlie – an ambition fulfilled, but more importantly another example of what can be achieved by asking for help. There are things in the pipeline for 2020 – a couple of bigger projects rather than a long list of tasks – but yesterday one of the netballers on my list was playing for her club (New Cambell) at Grangetown … challenge duly resurrected (sort of).
Lindsay Keable is a talented athlete, a vastly experienced Super League defender and former England international; more than that though, she is a charming and engaging young woman … she’s also very tall. We chatted both before and after the game, and as well as talking netball, she took a real interest in the work I have been doing.
Maybe I’ll meet the other people on the list … maybe I won’t – I’m not putting myself under any unnecessary pressure. I really just want to say two things: firstly, thank you so much to Lindsay, it was lovely to meet you; and secondly, please, if you are struggling, don’t ever be afraid to ask for help.
As with pretty much everything I’ve attempted over nearly six years, the idea was to highlight the importance of talking about mental health, and that it is always fine to ask for help if you are struggling.
A trip to Coventry to watch the Super League game between Wasps and London Pulse gave me the chance to spend a few minutes in the company of the home side’s England international shooter, Rachel Dunn; and the following month I drove down to Worcester for a lunch appointment with the recently-retired South African shooter Maryka Holtzhausen – officially the furthest I’ve ever travelled for a bite to eat.
Unfortunately, the next couple of months proved quite difficult and I took the decision to step back from raising awareness of mental health to look after my own. I felt guilty about (what I perceived as) letting people down; but I knew only too well that I needed time to deal with some of the more negative effects of the condition I’ve had for most of my life.
It's now October and I am feeling stronger, so much so that I recently recorded a song as part of a one-off band called One Take Charlie – an ambition fulfilled, but more importantly another example of what can be achieved by asking for help. There are things in the pipeline for 2020 – a couple of bigger projects rather than a long list of tasks – but yesterday one of the netballers on my list was playing for her club (New Cambell) at Grangetown … challenge duly resurrected (sort of).
Lindsay Keable is a talented athlete, a vastly experienced Super League defender and former England international; more than that though, she is a charming and engaging young woman … she’s also very tall. We chatted both before and after the game, and as well as talking netball, she took a real interest in the work I have been doing.
Maybe I’ll meet the other people on the list … maybe I won’t – I’m not putting myself under any unnecessary pressure. I really just want to say two things: firstly, thank you so much to Lindsay, it was lovely to meet you; and secondly, please, if you are struggling, don’t ever be afraid to ask for help.