Wesport was delighted to welcome Tom Berry, founder of ReBuild, for one of our Sport Welfare events. Following a career-ending rugby injury at the age of 23, Tom experienced first-hand the isolation, identity loss, and pressure from social media that can come with being injured. He started ReBuild to help other young athletes navigate the hidden mental side of injury and recovery.

Injury can affect much more than physical performance. This session explored the often overlooked mental impact of injury, the challenges it can present to personal identity, and the journey towards recovery and rebuilding confidence.

Tom shared valuable insights on:

• The mental and emotional impact of injury, including grief, guilt, fear, isolation, and identity loss.
• The influence of social media and understanding comparison culture, constant progression and online pressures that can shape an injured athlete’s recovery. For example, influencers will often portray recovery as glamorous and simple or to keep pushing and do more. Whereas athletes have said “Recovery is hard” “Injuries are complex” and to “listen to your body”.
• Practical and simple ways coaches, parents, and support networks can help those recovering from injury and help reduce isolation including check the language you use, instead of asking “when are you back?” change it to “we can’t wait to have you back”. This small change can help shift the pressure off the person and support them with isolation.

Tom spoke about how recovery is often portrayed as a linear journey, but in reality, it rarely follows a straight path. Instead, it can involve setbacks, loops, and unexpected detours, with progress often feeling messy and non-linear.