Kookaburra Simon Orchard opens up on the mental health battle that could have ended his Olympic bid

KOOKABURRAS midfielder Simon Orchard says he would never have made the Rio Olympics if not for a two-month lay-off dealing treating anxiety issues.

Simon Orchard has opened up on his mental health battle

KOOKABURRAS midfielder Simon Orchard says he would never have made the Rio Olympics if not for a two-month lay-off dealing treating anxiety issues.

Orchard yesterday lifted the lid on his battle with mental health and remarkable recovery since last year’s absence from the Kookaburras squad.

The 30-year-old is one of Australia’s most dangerous weapons, scoring in the London 2012 bronze medal match and the last shootout goal in this year’s Champions Trophy.

But for years he concealed the anxiety issues which saw him in physical confrontations with teammates and fearing simple illnesses were life-threatening cancers.

Being a young kid trying to forge my way into such a great sporting team, it all became too much for me.

Simon Orchard

He revealed the depth of his issues last October in a blog My Anxious Life while on his leave of absence.

As Australia enters Rio as white-hot favourites he told News Corp admitting his issues had invigorated his entire approach to sport.

“I had been pretty loathe to share my problems with the world and when this stuff started happening I was still developing as a person and unsure how to handle it,’’ he said.

“I don’t begrudge the hockey program but it is a difficult environment to be in. There is so much pressure in sport people aren’t aware of.

“Being a young kid trying to forge my way into such a great sporting team, it all became too much for me.

“I didn’t sweep it under the carpet, I just wasn’t sure what it was and it kept bubbling away.”

As his condition worsened he nearly came to blows with star teammate Jamie Dwyer and pondered the ramifications of jumping from a Belgian balcony during last year’s World League series.

He realised he needed a circuit-breaker if he was to sort out his life - and make the Rio squad.

That revelation to teammates saw him so emotional and tearful he was unable to continue, but it was the cathartic moment that changed everything.

“The initial trepidation wasn’t so much about what the public thought, it was working out what was going on. Once I told the playing group it was a very difficult day but it was all worthwhile.

“I felt their arms wrap around me and I knew I could share this journey. I ended up agreeing on 6-8 weeks away from the program.

I felt their arms wrap around me and I knew I could share this journey. I ended up agreeing on 6-8 weeks away from the program

Simon Orchard

“(Head coach) Graham Reid and the support team and psychologists were really great and I went back and focused on other things — being a uni student and my club hockey team in Perth.

“I worked out why I wanted to play and what was important to me. I didn’t think I could continue along at this level for another year without breaking the circuit.

“Thankfully I came back with a really different attitude that is about how we can make this the best Kookaburras team we can be.”

He says his individual focus — “What can I do to get better?” - has morphed into making a positive contribution to the entire team in Rio.

That doesn’t mean he has parked a personality he admits will never see him classified as a shrinking violet.

“That is part of elite sport, a sense of prickliness. I don’t pride myself on being the firestarter that gets people into scuffles but you need that dynamic in a team with people on edge.

“You see it in all sports. There are a couple of people driving the team in different ways. If it was all softly-spoken guys who didn’t want to get into altercations it wouldn’t work.

“Just like if everyone was like me who calls it as it is, that wouldn’t work either. I am comfortable with my role.”

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