Mary Fowler of Manchester City showered with support after she opens up about her own mental health struggles.
‘Courageous’ Mary Fowler praised for revealing mental health struggles.
After the Manchester City forward disclosed the severity of her depression when she initially relocated to Europe, Matildas coach Joe Montemurro commended Mary Fowler for speaking out about her mental health issues.
The 22-year-old attacker, who is now recuperating from a severe knee injury, is anticipated to return to action prior to the Asian Cup in January. However, last week, she published a memoir that describes the depth of her struggles with depression and self-harm.
When Fowler travelled to France to play for Montpellier at the age of 17, she writes, she started experiencing suicidal thoughts. She claimed that during a time when she was playing in England at the age of 20, she was on the verge of doing more self-harm after experiencing it as a youth.
“In that moment, I didn’t follow through,” she wrote. “But I did sit there for most of the night pleading for anyone up above who would listen to please just take me.”
Montemurro said being able to overcome and discuss these challenges showed courage. “It’s a little bit of a sign of the pressures that professional athletes and professional sports people are under these days,” he said.
“The more we talk about it, the more it’s out in the open, the more that we’re honest about it I think is amazing, and this is a perfect example of someone that’s been really courageous and been able to come out with her issues, deal with it and know that there are people behind her, backing her and want to do what’s best for her.”
According to Fowler’s book, she battled financial strains and the demands of her growing fame, which were made worse when she moved to France without family support or fluency in the language. She responded by hurting herself.
Although Montemurro stated she will return to play in January, Fowler will stay in the UK for the Matildas’ upcoming games against New Zealand in Gosford on November 28 and Adelaide on December 2.