PDRL Athlete Shares Harrowing Personal Journey to Inspire Others
[Emma Kirke], through overcoming sexual violence, cancer and eating disorders, delivers a message of positivity and perseverance to inspire others to accomplish their goals.
The adversity started early in life. From ages 11 through 17, she was persistently bullied. Initially resorting to self-harm, she was able to maneuver to the more positive outlets of writing and poetry, where she found success and was even published.
Unfortunately, the obstacles were just beginning. On a trip to Spain, [Emma] was raped by a Spanish national. Intense therapy helped her cope and ultimately come to terms with what happened. This resulted in missing a substantial amount of time in school. She was nearly expelled.
Subsequent years would find Emma in an abusive relationship that took immense energy to escape and recover from. In 2000, a serious car accident would shape the difficulties of her life to come. She was initially paralyzed for four months. The accident was suspected to cause permanent and potentially degenerative damage.
This came to fruition in 2005, when her spine shifted sending her back to square one. This lead to the disclosure that she would never be able to have children, and brought about a dependency medication. The despondency this created would lead her to develop eating disorders.
Ultimately, a breast cancer diagnosis would prove the turning point. Given her genetic risk factors, she opted for a double mastectomy. A few years later, she would lose a friend to a secondary cancer as a result from the disease.
Through all this [Emma] found her home in PDRL [Rugby]. She became the first female player in Europe and the Northern Hemisphere. There, she found the community inspiring, respectful, and a source of real inspiration.
For more information, please visit [Emma’s] website at http://www.EmmaKirke.co.uk.
