- Mead has had a difficult 2023
- Missed World Cup due to knee injury
- Lost her mother as well which affected her
WHAT HAPPENED? The Arsenal star suffered an anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury in November 2022, which dashed her hopes of participating in the Women's World Cup the following summer. Unfortunately, the road to recovery was further complicated by the tragic loss of her mother, June, in January, following a courageous battle with ovarian cancer. Mead admitted that the double whammy of the injury and her mother's passing made it difficult for her to find an "escape" to lift her spirits.
WHAT THEY SAID: “In January I lost my Mum and because of the injury I couldn’t play football, which was always my escape, my happy place. Moments when people thought I was fine because of my outgoing personality, were very dark," she told Independent.
"It’s been a tough process to understand. Teammates, people at the club, family and friends who supported me were so important, without them I could have been in a far darker place. I want to help create an environment in which it’s totally normal to address mental health.
“There’s not a perfect way of dealing with it, but if you feel you’re not alone it helps so much. We need to normalise mental health and in doing so that would go a long way.”
THE BIGGER PICTURE: Despite these challenges, Mead has taken on a significant role in leading Common Goal's initiative called "Create the Space." She has been joined by other football players, including Ben Chilwell, Molly Bartrip, Vivianne Miedema, Marvin Sordell, Naomi Girma, Sergio Oliveira, Alex Remirand, and more. This campaign is focused on addressing the deepening mental health crisis in football and society and aims to provide individuals in the sport with the knowledge, skills, and resources necessary to better understand, prevent, and deal with mental health issues.
Chelsea full-back, Chilwell, who is himself in rehab nursing a hamstring injury, also opened up about his own mental health struggles and insisted that a holistic approach is needed to tackle the issue that pervades every level of the sport.
“I have had my own mental health journey and I felt unsure about where to turn to for support,” he said.
“It’s down to our generation to change this and ensure that throughout football, all the way from the elite level to young people in community organisations, we have each other’s backs and we’re equipped with the tools to help ourselves and those around us.
“We need to move from talking about mental health to taking action, and Create the Space provides the platform for everyone wishing to take action to play a role in tackling mental health issues, whether they are playing in the Premier League, in the playground, or in the park.”
IN TWO PHOTOS:
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GettyWHAT NEXT? Mead will be back in action in the WSL when Arsenal will face Manchester City on Sunday.