Youth sport trust youth board - introducing Elodie
Hi, my name is Elodie and this is how sport changed my life.
All throughout school, I was always sporty and took every opportunity to participate in sport that I could. However, I would always get bored of the sport at some point and move onto a different one. I never played the same sport for more than a year.
One day a teacher asked me to play rugby and there was no chance that was happening! I thought it was too rough and wasn’t a sport I even wanted to try. This same teacher lead tag rugby in my PE classes and asked if I’d represent my school in a tag rugby competition. Well, this meant the afternoon not doing English and Maths so I definitely went!
Whilst I was at the competition, a local coach asked me to come and try full-contact rugby for his team. There was no way that was happening! I thought rugby was too rough and it was a boys sport! However, he didn’t take no for an answer. So he asked again, and again, and again until he’d been asking for an entier year and I finally gave in.
Once I tried full contact rugby for the first time, I loved it and never went back to tag! Both my teacher and coach saw potential in me and persisted until I saw that potential in myself too.
Top tip: Take every opportunity that comes your way. Even if it does mean playing a sport that’s out of your comfort zone. Who knows, it could be a decision that changes your life!
All throughout my time at school, I struggled with maintaining friendships and pressure that was put on me by other any myself. Often I would find myself thinking, “What can’t I cope? Why do I find the simplest tasks hard to comprehend? Why don’t I understand jokes?”
It all came to a real head in my GCSE years. The pressure that I was under mounted to the point where I couldn’t get out of bed. And on the days that I could get out of bed to go, I would only come home, get back in bed, cry myself to sleep and then do the process all over again.
This was a really challenging time but I was able to get through it with the support of my parents, rugby team, teachers and eventually the school counsellor. I managed to sit my GCSE exams however, they are not the results I wanted nor the results I would’ve achieved with earlier support.
From school, I didn’t feel like college was for me and therefore did an apprenticeship as a PE teaching assistant. My school PE teacher inspired me to get into sport and I wanted to be that person for others.
Top Tip: Going to college and University isn't the only route. If you don't feel like they're right for you then look into apprenticeships. It was one of the best things I've ever done!
With my confidence restored again, I began to seek out other opportunities for growth. I joined the Youth Sport Trust Youth Board as well as many other rugby youth councils. Doing this developed many of my employability skills, ensured I had many things to fill my CV and put me in touch with fantastic people who introduced me to further opportunities.
Top Tip: Find as many volunteering opportunities as you can. They can really help with your career whether that's in sport or something else.
I became a changemaker and campaigned for mental health. At 17 years old, I stood up in front of parliament and told MPs about the mental health crisis within our schools. It felt fantastic to share my story with others and hopefully make a difference. But something still didn’t feel quite right and I didn’t know why. The challenges I faced in school were gone and I was loving being employed but I still felt different.
Top Tip: Be brave and share your journey with others. You never know, it might help them with the struggles they're facing.
So at 21-years-old, I found a private doctor and was diagnosed with autism. Relieved, everything began to make sense. Suddenly I stopped saying to myself, “Why can’t you be like everyone else?” and instead began to learn more about the special ways in which my brain worked.
My diagnosis at 21 changed my life. However, I do often think, how much easier would school be if I was diagnosed sooner?
Final Top Tip:
If something in your life doesn’t feel right, find someone who you feel comfortable with to tell. Sometimes they might not understand and they might tell you it isn’t a big deal. Just because it isn’t a big deal to them doesn’t mean it isn’t a big deal to you. Find some else to tell and keep being brave and telling others until someone listens, understands and gives you the support you need.
