Game on: Soccer star Caitlin Foord overcomes her serious foot injury

Women’s sport is on the rise in Australia and one of our standout stars is Sydney FC football star Caitlin Foord. She talks to The Sunday Telegraph about the long, hard road out of injury hell.

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The age of professionalism is rapidly transforming women’s sport across Australia.

No longer is it about pretty picture opportunities and demeaning pats on the back — these are real, tough sports stars working their guts out to compete with the best in the world.

Award-winning Sunday Telegraph sports photographer Phil Hillyard spent 2018 capturing five women as they went through the grind of training in their quest to be the best.

Here in her own words, Sydney FC football star Caitlin Foord talks about the long, hard road out of injury hell.

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The moment I jumped to head the ball, I knew what had happened.

Playing for Sydney FC in last season’s W-League semi-final, I did my lisfranc ligament in my foot.

It kind of feels like you twist your ankle but in the middle of your foot. And the foot is pretty much broken, because that ligament holds all the bones together there.

I had surgery to insert a plate with four screws to hold it in place. I was completely off my foot for two weeks, in a moon boot for five weeks, then after a few months I had to have another surgery to remove it all.

Sydney FC soccer player Caitlin Foord missed out on important games due to her foot injury. Picture: Phil Hillyard

I’d been going since I was 16, so mentally and physically, I probably needed a break.

But when I got the plate out — wasn’t it supposed to feel better?

The first few runs it just didn’t feel good at all. Those were the times when I thought ‘Is this how it’s going to feel? Because if it is, I don’t think I could do that.’

It’s still not great, I can see the improvements though, and speaking to Sam Kerr, who did the same thing, she said it took two years for it to feel somewhat normal.

I guess I’ve got about a year and a half left!

Foord trained hard to get back in the game. Picture: Phil Hillyard

Her training schedule is intense. Picture: Phil Hillyard

Only recently my mindset has changed. It’s very difficult to get out of bad headspace when you are in it.

It comes with building confidence and working back into it.

I had to watch from the sidelines as Sydney played in the W-League grand final. I had to watch from home as the Matildas played in the Asian Cup decider. Both went down in the final.

Caitlin Foord on dealing with her injuries.

It’s always hard watching, but I actually think it was the best thing for me.

It was nice to just sit there; I can’t remember the last time I could do that.

Now I can look back and know that phase only lasted a little bit, then you’re getting back out there.

Foord hopes the Matildas can one day win the World Cup. Picture: Phil Hillyard

I played the end of the season in the USA, I’m back now with Sydney FC. I got to play with the Matildas again on home soil and those three goals in Newcastle were a huge confidence booster given what I’ve been through.

The World Cup is next for the Matildas. We believe we can win it one day, that’s every footballer’s dream and the ultimate goal, but we’ve set other goals that it takes to get there.

Those are what count to achieve your dreams.