A-Leagues football 2024: Melbourne Victory’s Rachel Lowe reveals her battle with chronic fatigue
Melbourne Victory star Rachel Lowe’s impressive season is even more remarkable given the fact she has been battling a debilitating chronic illness that affects her football – and life.
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A debilitating chronic illness left Rachel Lowe so defeated she contemplated packing up her football boots for good – but a change in club and better understanding of her illness has Lowe flying in the A-Leagues.
The Melbourne Victory import has scored nine goals from her 17 outings this season – a career best.
Finding form has been a tough two-year journey for the 23-year-old.
Lowe has been battling chronic fatigue since 2022.
Finding answers to what left the midfielder completely whipped out after a training session or stuck in bed after a match wasn’t an easy process.
First they had to rule out glandular fever before landing at chronic fatigue. Contracting Covid-19 in the process didn’t help.
“The doctors didn’t really know,” Lowe said.
“I got Covid and it made it worse and it lingered for longer.
“It was a pretty bad illness and was a big factor in me not playing as many minutes as I would have liked.
“Physically I was just not where I needed to be.”
Managing the severe fatigue and her football career was so draining that Lowe considered giving it all up and retiring.
“I just wasn’t dealing with it well and I wasn’t able to rest,” she said.
“I was just pushing through it and it was getting worse rather than better.”
A chance to start over and find a club willing to work with Lowe and her illness spurred her to make the move from championship winning Sydney FC to Melbourne Victory.
“I knew that to develop my game and to go further with my game I needed to go somewhere the coach really backed me and I felt like I was an integral part of the team,” Lowe said.
“I didn’t really feel like that was the case at Sydney FC. When I heard Jeff (Hopkins) was interested, I verbally agreed very early.”
The move has worked wonders for Lowe – who while still not at her peak level is having an incredible season in her new dark blue shirt.
“I took some time off in the off-season and then pretty much built back from nothing,” Lowe said.
“When I came into the Victory pre-season I was very, very unfit and just like still not feeling great.
“They’ve been really good here, they are all across when I’ve been going through and they are very understanding.
“So If I need to have a lighter day they are really good with that. At the moment it’s just been getting better and better.
“I think it’s something that I’ll definitely be able to fully get over, it is just about having the right team around me to support me.”
Lowe said she has implemented a range of techniques in the bid to combat the chronic illness including meditation, a strict diet, sleep and recovery regimen.
“It’s just about getting things consistent,” she said.
The midfielder said she has noticed a huge difference between the start of the season and where she is now.
“At the start of the season I’d feel really, really tired after pre-season games, I wasn’t myself at all,” Lowe said.
“As the seasons gone on my body as adapted more to the games and training and I do feel a lot more normal now
“But if we have a tough game, or play in the heat then it takes me noticeably longer to recover compared to the other girls.
“Hopefully next season I’ll be feeling 100 per cent from round one.”
But before Lowe gets to next season Victory have to stay in the fight and battle it out for a spot in the finals series.
Victory have had an up and down season but currently sit fourth, with seven wins, five draws and five loses.
There are still eight teams in the fight to nab the remaining four spots in the finals series – with Melbourne City and Western United’s places locked in.
Lowe, who made her A-Leagues debut in 2016, said she had never experienced a season as tight as this one.
“I think the overall standard of each team has gotten better so there is no easy game,” Lowe said.
“You have to play well to get three points.
“It’s a close table but hopefully we continue this form and just keep separating ourselves from the rest of the middle of the pack.”
After coming so close to giving it all away Lowe has a new appreciation for the sport and is determined to get herself back in top form and earn a return to the Matildas.
She has just one appearance in the green and gold, back in 2018.
“When I got sick my priorities shifted from pushing for the national team to just wanting to get my health back,” Lowe said.
“Once I feel like I’m completely back and I feel myself, hopefully my performances just take care of itself and it happens naturally.”
Melbourne Victory will play Wellington Phoenix on Sunday at 2pm (AEDT).
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