Abbie Brown has a message for every aspiring young athlete: you are not alone.
Rugby sevens star Brown is a two-time Olympian, having represented Team GB at Rio 2016 and Tokyo 2020, but her journey to the top has not been simple.
Like most young athletes, the 2023 European Games champion felt an overwhelming pressure to fit into the status quo growing up, living her ‘average’ teenage lifestyle while also wanting to focus on her ambitions becoming an Olympian.
This World Mental Health Day, Brown has teamed up with the mental health charity YoungMinds to show others they are not alone with how they feel.
"I'm passionate about a creating a world in sport for children," said Brown.
"Going to school was difficult for me because I never wanted to be in the classroom. I always wanted to be outside and wanted to be running around and kicking a ball.
"But I struggled to find that balance as a teenager and I think a lot of athletes do.
"I remember really vividly that there was a house party which everyone in school was going to but it clashed with my rugby session on Friday night.
Abbie Brown has a message for every aspiring young athlete: You are not alone.
— Team GB (@TeamGB) October 10, 2023
This #WorldMentalHealthDay, she has teamed up with the mental health charity @YoungMindsUK to create a brighter future for young people’s mental health.
Read more here 👇
"I said to my parents 'what do I do? Everybody's going to this party'. My dad just looked at me and asked 'what do you want to do?'
"In the end, I went training and on the Monday people were talking about the party. I felt a bit left out but only for a few days. Rugby has lasted me a lifetime.
"The important thing is I wanted to go training and I chose that. It was about feeling comfortable with my decision.
"If I had felt comfortable with going to the party, I would have gone there but it was a real learning curve and challenge as I made sure I still had my childhood experiences.”
The pressure to do what your friends are doing can be constant within adolescence, with over one million girls in the UK losing interest in sport as teenagers, according to 2022 findings.
That feeling is one that Brown has acute knowledge of but her sustained love of rugby has kept her going.
"I get questions from young people asking, 'what if your friends aren't doing it?'," she added.
"That was another big thing growing up as none of my friends played rugby. I do believe that if I didn't have that enjoyment or I didn't have my friends my family supporting me, I probably would have just stopped playing.
“That obviously would have totally changed the course of where I am today."
Ahead of a possible third Olympic Games in Paris, the 27-year-old is intent on helping other young athletes navigate the issues she once faced as a teenager and providing representation for young girls on the rugby pitch.
"My dad's philosophy was always 'as long as you're enjoying it'," she said.
"That's something that I really hold onto. My parents always encouraged me to do something I'm passionate about and to try different things.
Don’t underestimate the impact your kindness can have on someone. From sending a text to a friend to let them know how you appreciate them, to saying ‘have a nice day’ to a shop assistant, you could give someone the little boost they need. #WorldMentalHealthDay
— YoungMinds (@YoungMindsUK) October 10, 2023
"I want to give back in that way. I have done some coaching and done several talks in schools because that's partly why I play the sport, I want more people to get involved and I want more girls to get involved.
"I want to them to turn on the TV and see female athletes.
"I'm trying to educate people when I go into schools because if a young girl sees me and then thinks about maybe joining rugby, or another sport, then I've done a good job.
“That's my purpose.”
To mark World Mental Health Day, YoungMinds is asking schools, organisations and individuals to wear yellow to raise awareness for the crisis in young people’s mental health.
Their annual campaign #HelloYellow is about showing young people they are not alone and creating a brighter future for young people's mental health.
Brown will be among those wearing yellow for the cause as she continues to help more young people find their passion through sport.
Announcing our Krakow 2023 flagbearers 🇬🇧
— Team GB (@TeamGB) June 21, 2023
Congratulations to Abbie Brown and Joe Clarke, who will lead the team out at tonight's Opening Ceremony!
"Everyone goes through these issues and young people are not alone,” she said.
"We need to let people know it's okay and help them learn how to deal with that, and the natural side of mental health, rather than seeing it as a big thing that you have to overcome.
"By wearing yellow on World Mental Health Day, and donating what you can, you can show young people that you’re with them. Show them that they matter, and they deserve the support they need, when they need it, no matter what.
"This small act can make a big difference for millions of young people."
Sportsbeat 2023