The Fight of My Life
Caradh O'Donovan |
TEDxDrogheda
• November 2017
Experiencing discrimination and isolation over this disease within sport, I have decided to continue
on within my sport to raise awareness of Crohns Disease and also to reduce the stigma attached
to it. As well as being a full time athlete aspiring to reach the Olympic Games in Tokyo 2020, I work
as an Athlete Mentor with Sky Sports and the Dame Kelly Holmes Trust in schools where I speak
about hidden illness and how sport and exercise has helped me reach huge levels of success.
My talk would focus on how I had lived with a hidden illness for years without acknowledging it,
while on the outside appearing to be thriving in my sport. The pain and suffering I hid from friends,
family and peers was crippling and debilitating and did take its toll on my physical and mental well
being and of course my performances as an athlete. I would like to highlight the gravity of living
with hidden illnesses and to highlight the importance of seeking help and speaking about about
these illnesses. My talk would also aim to inspire others in a similar situation to become more
confident while living with these types of illnesses and of course to demonstrate that all things are
possible regardless of the barriers and obstacles that we can face in our day to day lives. Finally,
my talk would also aim to address the stigma associated with hidden illness and show how I
personally have been on the receiving end of prejudice and discrimination since my diagnosis, and
more importantly to offer my solution to overcoming the adversity I faced through using exercise,
sport, support networks and speaking publicly about Crohns Disease.