I didn’t make the phone call I should have made last year. I sat in my room and everything became too much.

I’m a full-time athlete, which is stressful in itself, and I was working a full-time job. I was studying and I was volunteering so there was very little time for me, and I was also going through some breakdowns in my personal life.

So it was a whole mountain of things.

Instead of making the phone call, I just kind of sat in my own darkness and unfortunately ended up being hospitalised. But we learn from these things and I want to push the message that you don’t have to feel that way.

The Lifeline organisation has always been close to my heart, but especially in the past year or two. One of the things that I really acknowledged within myself was how alone I felt.

For so many in our community it’s really tough right now with COVID-19, too. Not just the uncertainty, but especially for people who have lost their jobs, who have families that they can’t see, or family and friends who are ill, it’s really, really challenging.

So it’s a scary time and organisations like Lifeline are so important. I want to help spread the word that it’s OK to feel this way and there’s people you can reach out to who want to listen.