Bowled over by Jemma
Aussie cricketer Jemma isn’t letting her illness get in the way of her sporting dreams Jemma Barsby, 23, Brisbane, Qld
Playing another round of backyard cricket, my dad, Trevor, looked amazed.
‘You’ve got quite the arm on you, Jem!’ he laughed.
Aged six, I was a sports nut, and I took our family matches very seriously!
My parents, brothers and I were all cricket mad.
So I was thrilled when
I got to tag along to training sessions with the under 17s women’s cricket league.
It wasn’t long before I was playing first-grade matches and was then drafted to the Queensland Fire side at 15.
Show them what you’re made of, I told myself before my debut on the field.
The thrill of hitting a six to the sound of a roaring crowd was an unmatched feeling.
By 2015, at 19, I was given the chance of a lifetime to play for the Brisbane Heat in the Big Bash.
‘I always knew you’d make it in the big league,’ Dad told me, beaming with pride.
I went in swinging, discovering I could bowl perfectly with both hands.
But soon I started having shoulder pain, numbness and tingling in my fingertips.
Heading to the team doctor, I had an MRI scan.
When I went back for the results, she looked worried.
The scans showed lesions on my brain.
I felt a rush of fear.
‘It’s going to be okay,’ she said. ‘But you are showing signs of multiple sclerosis (MS).’
Confused, I rushed home to research the condition I’d never heard of.
A specialist confirmed that I had a mild form of MS, a disease where the immune system eats away at the protective covering of nerves. The nerve damage disrupts communication between the brain and body.
‘Will it affect my game?’ I asked, cautiously.
‘It’s very early at this stage, you just need to be careful and look after yourself,’ she replied.
Telling Dad and my mum,
Sue, we cried together.
But incredibly, three years on, having MS hasn’t slowed me down. I still get pins and needles and can feel fatigued, but I am lucky to have almost no other symptoms.
During really hot days on the field, I wear ice-vests to keep my temperature down, as my immune system is weak.
Now, I’m an ambassador for Kiss Goodbye to MS and MS Queensland, which raises money and awareness.
This summer, I’ll be playing for the Brisbane Heat in the
Big Bash Women’s League.
Despite having MS, I can still do what I love so much and I never take anything for granted.
My future is bright, and I can’t wait to play in televised matches.
It is so exciting seeing women in sport on free-to-air television.
I love knowing little girls are watching and are inspired by the female players in Aussie cricket.
The Rebel Women’s Big Bash League airs on Channel Seven from December 1.