Hi, I’m Si Trower
I am an ex-rugby player. From the age of 6, I have spent much of my life being part of the rugby community – on and off the field at a great club, Henley RFC. Playing minis & juniors all the way through to seniors and most recently, helping out at another fantastic club, Maidenhead RFC. Since an early age, I have experienced and still do experience different levels of depression and anxiety. I have undergone various treatment methods, from trialling medication to attending sessions with a clinical psychologist. I live with it everyday, through my personal experience I have designed a range of coping strategies, one of them being making sure that I talk to people/family when I feel low.
Rugby was always a good form of personal therapy. I left things off the field and enjoyed the release on it. Looking back on this now, this was very much a temporary fix for me. I was putting on a front, hiding behind ‘the banter’, when deep down I yearned for real connections and to be myself.
Life is moving on and I am pleased to see that the stigma towards mental health is changing, especially in sport. I’ve always wanted to try and help others and having recently completed a Mental Health First Aider course, I’ve decided to create a support network, focussed within the rugby community.
At Brave Mind, we will make talking about and supporting each other with mental health the norm. We are about getting into action, working with rugby clubs and schools to put mental health at the heart of their community.
