With My Sporting Mind I wanted to use sport, something so many of us love and also have in common with each other, to show that mental health and the feelings around it are so much more common than we realise. Some of the greatest achievements in sport have come through struggle and some of the most incredible sportspeople have experienced the same kind of lows you or I might experience. My Sporting Mind is all about normalising these conversations, to show that talking about the tougher side of things takes strength, not weakness.
Sadly, even now, there is still an undertone of mental health being about weakness, and shame, which is such a powerful emotion in itself. It can be the difference between getting help and suffering alone. It can spiral, making us feel even more embarrassed and even worthless, which further suppresses how we are feeling and keeps us in a low place. We wanted to help show that how we are feeling, opening up about what we need, and speaking to others is a show of enormous strength.
The more we hear relatable stories of mental health - the battles, yes, but also the coming out of the other side - the more we can understand our own wellbeing and eliminate the stigma behind it.
In My Sporting Mind’s first season we had Watford goalkeeper Ben Foster talking about anxiety, rugby’s Chris Robshaw on depression, footballer Ryan Bennett on self-doubt, Australia’s cricket coach Justin Langer discussing the toughest moments of his career and the lessons he’s learnt, speed skater Elise Christie taking us through the aftermath of her Winter Olympics heartbreak and England cricketer Kate Cross on perfectionism and how it prevented her from developing.
For our second season I'm really proud to partner with Sporting Life, as we delve into a range of sports and athletes from football and rugby, to Olympians as we look ahead to Tokyo, over to horse racing, boxing, darts... you name it. We really hope you enjoy listening, that it puts a smile on your face, and that in some way it helps you get through these difficult times.
For anyone struggling with their mental health, or just feeling the need to speak to someone and be heard, then call free and anonymously: