How (Not) To Be Strong by Alex Scott

Author:Alex Scott [Scott, Alex]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Non-Fiction, Autobiography, Memoir, Sports, Athlete
ISBN: 9781529159141
Publisher: Cornerstone
Published: 2022-09-28T16:00:00+00:00

9

Strength Is …

Knowing When To Take The Next Step

Bear Grylls was filmed during a life-changing transitional period for me. I’d come back from participating in my third World Cup in Canada, having gone in as the starting right back. I left the tournament knowing the peak of my England career had been and gone. Once again, life followed a funny pattern: my first ever World Cup in an England shirt was also held in Canada, at U19s youth level. My last saw us knocked out in the semi-finals in the cruellest of ways, losing to Japan in the dying minutes of the game, with Laura Bassett scoring an own goal just as the referee was about to blow the whistle to take us into extra time. It was total heartbreak.

As is standard for summer tournaments, it was a baking hot day. I was a sub cheering the team on from the bench. When you’re a sub, you tend to drink a lot more fluids and have to head off to the toilet more as a result – especially as you’re constantly telling yourself, ‘What if I go on the pitch and need the loo?’ I’d just zoomed off on one of these trips and sat down to have a wee when mid-flow there was a BANG! and I heard the door to the changing room fly open.

‘ALEX! ALEX! You’re needed to play!’ It was my teammate, Lianne Sanderson.

Having been pranked so many times over the years, I thought this was just another wind-up.

‘Yeah, yeah,’ I laughed, still on the toilet.

‘Alex, for real, Lucy is throwing up on the pitch and is dizzy. You have to go on!’

I could tell now that Lianne was being serious. Within seconds, I was off the toilet seat, stripping off my gear and entering into a World Cup semi-final game without having even warmed up. My legs felt like lead and I was entering a fast-paced game, trying to get up to speed. Before I knew it, our World Cup Final dream was over. We did come home with a bronze medal and once again elevated women’s football to another level and a bigger audience than ever before, however it was the start of goodbye for me. It had been over ten glorious years being known as the best right back in England and the world, but now a young Lucy Bronze announced herself to the world in the most spectacular of ways in that tournament, going on to become England’s starting right back to the present day. And just as Heather Mitts had done for me when I was at Boston Breakers, I did all I could to support Lucy, challenging her and pushing her so when she eventually took my spot, she knew I’d be her biggest cheerleader – bar her mum, Diane (personally, I think I’m still up there though!).

Mine and Lucy’s relationship is one I still treasure. We got on from day one. Even though we were in direct competition with each other, there was always this utmost respect between us.

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