'two Concussions In A Month Was Scary And It's Why I'm Retiring'

Gabby Marshall was connected a spinal committee successful nan backmost of a West Midlands ambulance erstwhile it dawned connected her - done nan fug of a 2nd concussion successful a period - that this mightiness beryllium nan wounded that would extremity her sporting career.

On Tuesday greeting she made it official.

After 3 weeks of terrible headaches and discombobulating fatigue, nan 29-year-old skipper of Birmingham Panthers kissed goodbye to her life successful netball astatine a tearful squad meeting, concluding location was nary different prime she could person made.

It was not really "devastated" Marshall envisaged nan first twelvemonth of Netball Super League's much-vaunted master era turning retired for her.

Rather this, though, than a worst-case script further down nan line.

She told BBC Sport: "I dread to think, aft a remainder play and betterment for this one, if I was to past measurement connected tribunal again and beryllium successful nan aforesaid business again.

"I dread to deliberation of nan symptoms I would person because this 1 has been rather scary and rather difficult.

"It's a tricky determination to travel to because you ne'er want your profession to extremity for illustration this."

Marshall was concussed for nan first clip this play successful Birmingham's opening crippled against Leeds Rhinos connected 14 March.

It near her emotion nauseous for days, but she completed return to play protocols and was emotion good erstwhile she lined up to look leaders London Pulse connected 13 April, only for a collision successful nan 3rd 4th to extremity her crippled and yet her life arsenic a master athlete.

Marshall was attempting to drawback a walk erstwhile she collided pinch Pulse goalkeeper Darcie Everitt and deed nan deck, nan backmost of her caput banging against nan tribunal astatine Worcester Arena.

The lucifer was paused for 20 minutes arsenic Marshall was treated and taken distant to infirmary for checks and a CT scan.

Those showed up clear, but Marshall has endured a dismal clip since.

She is seeing a neurological physiotherapist arsenic she looks to lead a normal life again.

"I was rather unwell for nan first 10 days aliases so, not really capable to do very much, and I'm not backmost to normal yet but I'm amended than I was," she said.

She recalls being successful nan ambulance, helpless.

"You think, 'oh wow, I've conscionable had 1 peculiarly large caput sound and now nan 2nd one'," said Marshall.

"I've sewage a aesculapian inheritance from studying physiotherapy astatine university, truthful I was good alert of nan dangers of having 2 concussions rather adjacent together.

"I've had a mates earlier successful my profession arsenic well, truthful I was rather alert it's a very superior injury. I had an MRI yesterday.

"There's a misconception pinch concussions wherever possibly group deliberation it's a small bang to nan caput and you're going to beryllium OK afterwards.

"Hopefully I do make a afloat recovery, but this one's been rather scary.

"There's been rather a batch of reasonably terrible headaches, aggravated unit successful nan head, incapable to look astatine immoderate screens, publication anything.

"I've been sleeping 12 hours astatine night, past I'd spell and beryllium downstairs for 10 aliases 15 minutes and would autumn dormant for 3 hours. Crazy exhaustion."

The Mancunian, who played astatine centre and helping defence, is described connected her Panthers floor plan arsenic nan team's "beating heart".

Previously pinch Manchester Thunder and Severn Stars, she represented England astatine younker level.

Injuries to some ankles waylaid her successful nan past, but not for illustration nan concussions.

Athletes successful different sports, specified arsenic football, rugby, boxing and American football, person suffered semipermanent harm to nan encephalon done repeated caput trauma.

"With this, you're a spot of a captive to your ain brain. You can't publication a book, aliases you can't spell retired to a java shop because it's excessively over-stimulating," Marshall said.

"That's nan scary quality of this wounded and why I've travel to this decision.

"I told nan girls this greeting astatine training and it was rather emotional. I'm devastated."

What comes adjacent for a female who had been each successful connected netball, relishing being astatine nan home pinnacle of a athletics that has plans for large-scale growth successful nan adjacent decade?

"I don't really know," she said. "I'm judge arsenic 1 doorway closes, different will open."

Marshall doesn't harbour immoderate sick emotion towards Everitt, who was fixed a two-minute punishment pursuing nan collision.

"I've had connection pinch Darcie since nan incident. She was going for nan shot and it's 1 of those things. It happens," Marshall said.

"I was rather unlucky to beryllium connected nan receiving extremity of 2 of those this season, but it's nan quality of nan crippled unfortunately."