Aussie cricket star Jemma Barsby has opened up on how she is ‘cracking on with life,’ despite being diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis (MS) when she was 19.
The inspirational South Australia women’s cricket captain adds that her diagnosis has helped her become a more resilient person and revealed to The Advertiser how she continues to play, despite experiencing symptoms related to the autoimmune disorder.
MS affects one in 1,000 Australians and is more common in women than men.
The illness is caused after the protective layer surrounding a person’s nerves is damaged, preventing signals moving from one’s brain to their body.
Symptoms include a loss of control over one’s muscles, fatigue and issues with vision.
Barsby, a two-time WBBL champion with the Strikers, explained how she found out she had MS, thinking initially that she had a shoulder injury.
Aussie cricket superstar Jemma Barsby (pictured) has opened up on living with Multiple Sclerosis
Barsby (centre) was diagnosed with MS when she was 19 years old. But she admits she is still ‘cracking on with life’ despite the condition
Barsby has won two WBBL titles with the Strikers and is the captain of the South Australia women’s team
Instead, her team’s doctor informed her she had the autoimmune disorder – a condition that she did not know much about at the time.
She returned home and began to Google the illness.
‘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”,’ Barsby told The Advisor.
She returned to training and admitted her ‘eyes were puffy’ after having been in tears upon reading the results of her Google search.
The cricket star kept the news of her diagnosis quiet, as her team-mates asked her if she was doing OK.
‘Your world just gets thrown up in the air,’ Barsby said. ‘You’re like, What if this happens? What if that happens? What does tomorrow look like? It was definitely a rough couple of months.’
Following that, Barsby, who is now 29, would undergo frequent MRI scans to ascertain the extent of her illness. She would, though, continue to play cricket at the top level.
But alongside performing on the cricket field, she now has to manage multiple symptoms, for example, when temperatures rise, Barsby experiences blurred vision or pins and needles in her hands, legs and back.
The all-rounder revealed the heat can play a big factor in her symptoms, so she admits she drinks a lot of slushies to regulate her temperature
Barsby (left) is an MS Research ambassador, and admits when she looks back at her career, she’ll remember being announced as the SA captain as one of her finest moments
Barsby, who is the daughter of Queensland great Trevor Barsby, can bowl with both hands and has showcased a sensational ability to switch-hit while batting
Staying cool is key, so she revealed that she drinks a lot of slushies to help regulate her body temperature.
‘The diagnosis definitely shaped the person I am. It has made me resilient and I know it is important to be in the moment,’ she explained.
‘I had to say to myself: “I can still live my life, so let’s just crack on the best I can”.’
Barsby is now also taking medication to alleviate the symptoms and spends a lot of time ‘listening to her body’ in order to ensure she can be on top of her game at all times.
The MS Research Ambassador also added that when she looks back at her glittering career, she will remember being handed the captaincy for South Australia as one of the most special moments on her cricketing journey.
‘It’s pretty surreal, to be honest, to say that I am captain in the state of South Australia,’ she explained.
‘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.’
Barsby, who is the daughter of Queensland great Trevor Barsby, can bowl with both hands and has showcased a sensational ability to switch-hit while batting.
During her stellar career, she’s struck 1,417 runs in List A matches, taking 147 wickets.
