PARIS, FRANCE – MARCH 15: Brian O’Driscoll of Ireland watches the RBS Six Nations match … [+] between France and Ireland at Stade de France on March 15, 2014 in Paris, France. (Photo by Paul Gilham/Getty Images)
UK broadcaster BT Sport premiered After The Roar on 9 September 2022, addressing the mental health issues faced by former elite athletes after their retirement. Numerous professional athletes have described life after retirement as a drastic difference from their active careers.
The documentary will be hosted by former Leinster, Ireland and Lions rugby captain Brian O’Driscoll as he reflects on his 15-year playing career and other players. They look at post-competition health challenges, as well as likely reductions in income, attention and competitive pressures.
“When I retired, I was faced with one of the most challenging challenges I’ve ever faced: life after sport,” said O’Driscoll.
“My retirement may have seemed easy on the outside, but the truth is I’ve had my own struggles. I don’t think I’m alone and I’m very interested in better understanding the impact of retirement on former athletes – and athletes in particular.”
“In 21st-century Britain and Ireland, suicide is the leading cause of death for men under the age of 50. There is a crisis in men’s mental health and for many ex-athletes there is a stigma attached to showing vulnerability.”
Several stars of various sports are featured throughout the play, including England men’s national football team manager Gareth Southgate, former Australia rugby union coach Michael Cheika, champion jockey AP McCoy, and Team GB Olympic gold medalist Anthony Ogogo, and England international cricketer Jonny Bairstow.
LONDON, UNITED KINGDOM – JUNE 26: England player Gareth Southgate reacts after missing his penalty kick… [+] during the penalty shoot out, during the European Championship Semi Final match between England and Germany at Wembley Stadium on June 26, 1996 London, England. Germany won the game on penalties. (Photo by Stu Forster/Allsport/Getty Images)
Author and psychotherapist Richie Sadlier stars alongside O’Driscoll in the documentary. Sadlier used to play professional football with British football club Millwall. He made his international debut for Ireland in 2002 when a serious hip injury forced him into retirement.
Zeeshan Saeed, President and Co-Founder of FSD Pharma Inc. said the topic has gone unexplored for far too long.
“Mental health is an essential element in everything we do at FSD. There is a major mental health problem that has been increasingly recognized in recent years, unfortunately sometimes through tragic stories. A documentary that explains the feelings and scenario for an audience is extremely important.”
He continued, “Sometimes these issues cause chemical imbalances that can be acutely resolved with medication and therapy or one or the other. Ultimately, the most important thing is that we recognize that this is a problem and that we as a society should focus on fixing it.”
FSD’s subsidiary, Lucid Psycheceuticals Inc., is focused on the discovery and development of its lead compounds, Lucid-Psych and Lucid-MS. Lucid-Psych is a molecular compound identified for the potential treatment of mental health disorders. Lucid-MS is a molecular compound that has been identified as a potential treatment for neurodegenerative diseases. Major depressive disorders are their core area with the aim of providing the market with products without unpleasant side effects.
Major depression, a frequently drug-resistant illness, affects approximately 17 million people in North America alone. FSD’s work has been published in leading medical journals such as the Journal of Medicinal Chemistry and The Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
Saeed continued, “It’s not just athletes. This is a common problem that many in the scientific community are trying to solve. It’s also impacting service members who are similarly mentally and physically, but not emotionally, trained to deal with post-combat cessation of action.”
TORONTO, ONTARIO: A group photo of the FSD Pharma team at the company’s offices on Bay Street, … [+] Toronto.
The film is a co-production between BT Sport Films and 3 Rock Productions. Executive Producers are Sally Brown (BT Sport) and Craig Doyle and Keith Doyle (3 Rock Productions) with Theo Lee-Ray, Isobel Williams and Mark Sharman producing and directing at BT Sport Films.
Craig Doyle said: “I have spent the last two decades working alongside some of the world’s best athletes and have seen how, despite their achievements, their mental health can be as fragile as anyone else’s. I wanted to explore this topic in a documentary and to see an idea grow into this powerful and insightful BT sports film is really rewarding.”
“When Brian agreed to have a therapist as the backbone of the film, we knew we were on to something really special. Brian and everyone he spoke to helped break the taboo on men talking about their feelings, which is so important. The BT Sport Films team, consisting of Isobel Williams, Theo Lee Ray and Mark Sharman, had a deep understanding of the issues and told the stories with sensitivity, resulting in an incredibly powerful film. We are very proud of the creative partnership with BT Sport Films.”
