Jason McAteer recently met up with broadcaster and presenter Iona Stephen as part of The R&A’s new series uncovering the various health benefits of the game.
McAteer opened up on his mental-health struggles following his retirement from professional football and how golf was able to get him back on track. The former Liverpool and Republic of Ireland midfielder outlines the benefits he has gained from the sport:
“Golf has been amazing, certainly from a mental-health aspect. I was probably in a bad place when I finished playing football because it left such a massive void. My team had gone, and that support network around me disappeared. I split up with my partner and we had just had a baby, so that was difficult. I found myself rattling around a house on my own and had no focus, but then I found golf. It just takes you away from everything else. Golf probably saved my life.”
Watch episode one with Jason in “Iona Investigates” here:
In episode two of the series, ex-England cricket international James Taylor also highlights how golf helped turned his life around.
Taylor had a thriving cricket career sadly cut short by a life-changing heart condition aged just 26 in 2016, but he also reveals how golf has since benefitted his physical and mental health.
“To have to retire when you are at the top of the game was incredibly hard to take; my life changed forever,” he said. “The doctor in hospital told me I couldn’t exercise like I used to, but I could play golf. As soon as I took it up, I was hooked. What a sport it is. Golf from then changed my life. It gave me a purpose, a technical challenge, the mental stimulation, the exercise and allows me to be competitive.”
Watch episode two with James in “Iona Investigates” here:
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