Cricket star Jemma Barsby on living with MS: ‘You have to crack on and live your best life’

One of the country’s most successful cricketers has opened up about living with a debilitating disease – and how she’s continued playing sport at the highest level.

Playing cricket from the time she could walk, Jemma Barsby was 19 and had just begun her professional career with Brisbane Heat when she received a shock diagnosis.

A decade on, the captain of the South Australian Women’s Cricket team and two-time WBBL Strikers Championship winner is sharing her story to show how having an auto-immune disease is spurring her on to the top of her game.

As told to Anna Vlach

Adelaide Strikers WBBL player Jemma Barsby Picture: Supplied

I can still remember our team doc saying, “We’re still going to be friends, right?”.

I’m like, “Yeah, it’s going be a shoulder issue from cricket … what’s wrong with that?”

Then she told me, “You have MS.”

I had absolutely no idea what multiple sclerosis was.

And, because I had to wait until the Monday to see a neurologist, I was in limbo.

Of course, I did the Dr Google as soon as I got home and that probably wasn’t the smartest because the first thing that comes up is “you’re going to be in a wheelchair”.

On the Friday morning, I went to training, and my eyes were all puffy from crying.

Everyone was asking, “Are you okay?” and I said I was stung by a bee, made up some silly excuse, just to try and shut it down.

On the Monday, the neurologist told me I had a very mild case of MS. She said, “We’re just going to monitor how you go.”

Jemma Barsby in action. Picture: Paul Kane/Getty Images

Your world just gets thrown up in the air. You’re like, What if this happens? What if that happens? What does tomorrow look like?

It was definitely a rough couple of months.

Every six months, I was having MRI scans to see how the MS had progressed.

Then, maybe the second or third time I saw my neurologist, she decided to put me on some MS medication to prolong my cricket career.

With me being an athlete, she didn’t want me having an episode out on the field or the MS changing dramatically so that I couldn’t play cricket.

Sometimes my hand goes numb but I haven’t really had any major episodes.

Heat brings on symptoms, such as blurred vision or pins and needles in my hands, legs and spine, so I have to try and keep cool.

One time, on a hot day, I was batting and had blurry vision but our staff were really good at bringing neck coolers out and getting me to have a slushie to cool me down.

I have to have lots of slushies, which is such a shame!

Jemma Barsby, aged 17, with her cricketer dad Trevor. Picture: Advertiser Library

I definitely have my days, like one a couple of weeks ago where I couldn’t get out of bed.

When that happens you have to try and rest as best you can, but I was so fatigued I didn’t get out of bed ’til four o’clock in the afternoon.

It’s something I’ve had to get better at and I am still working on it: Listening to my body, and getting ahead of it, before things get to the extreme of having to spend all day in bed.

It’s pretty surreal, to be honest, to say that I am captain in the state of South Australia.

It wasn’t an aspiration of mine and I remember (the then) SA women’s coach, Luke Williams, having to convince me to do it. I just didn’t think I was capable.

I saw myself as a leader, but through my actions, helping everyone, not as that on-field person.

Being captain is something that I’ll definitely look back on as pretty special, once I’m done.

The diagnosis definitely shaped the person I am, it has made me resilient and I know it is important to be in the moment.

I had to say to myself, “I can still live my life, so let’s just crack on the best I can.”

I’m proud to say I am an ambassador for MS Research Australia.

Jemma Barsby in action. Picture: Sarah Reed/Getty Images

Over the years I have also done some work on behalf of a few MS organisations, including with Novartis, the really big medical company.

I got to sit in on a few board meetings with other people living with MS.

It was a real eye-opener to hear about their experiences.

Some of them didn’t get in for MRIs for six months, and then didn’t get diagnosed for a whole year, whereas I got diagnosed within a week.

Because, obviously, athletes are very fortunate in that we get into MRIs very quickly.

That hit me quite hard.

I was very fortunate and I felt guilty, saying to myself, “These guys have gone through so much.”

And there I was being like, “Yeah, I got diagnosed in a week, and, yes, I’m on medication, but still doing everything I love …”

I think about them pretty much every day and if I feel like having a down day, I think of them and say to myself, “You’ve got it pretty good.”

Jemma with mum Sue and dad Trevor. Picture: Advertiser Library

I try and spread the word about MS because, at the start, I and a lot of my friends and family didn’t know what it was, so I want to raise people’s awareness.

And, hopefully, give a bit of strength to other people living with MS that you can still live your life as full as you can.

Jemma is also a regular cricket commentator and boundary reporter for Fox Sports Cricket

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Originally published as Cricket star Jemma Barsby on living with MS: ‘You have to crack on and live your best life’