Everyone goes through change in life. It is just about how you respond. They can be big changes; they can be small, but it is about how you handle it yourself.
Over the last few months, I have been through the biggest change of all. Since being diagnosed with a heart condition – arrhythmogenic right ventricular cardiomyopathy or ARVC, a disease that causes irregular heartbeats – last year at just 27, I have had to learn to navigate a world where I can no longer be a professional footballer. I have been forced to adjust to a reality where I can no longer be an elite athlete and where I can’t play a sport I have been a part of since I was three. I have had to accept the reality of my condition and everything that comes with it.
I first discovered something might be wrong in the summer of 2023. I was supposed to move to Italy and during the medical, they found alarming signals in my heart. They wanted to do extra testing back in Denmark and while I was waiting for those tests, I was still allowed to play.
I went to the World Cup with the national team. I knew there was something up, but I didn’t know if it was bad or good. All I knew was that I needed more testing when I came home. I didn’t really think about it during the World Cup. I just focused on playing, being with my friends in Australia and enjoying it.
A few months passed and I finally got the answers when I was in the US. I had signed for Portland Thorns in September and didn’t expect this kind of news. When you have been through those tests, you prepare yourself for the worst while hoping for the best.
I was in my apartment when the doctor called. It was such a strange situation being alone, so far away from Denmark, my family and boyfriend. I just wanted to fly home straight away.
It is tough because you feel so healthy. You feel nothing can really happen to you while you are playing even though you see people getting sick or suffering injury. I had always thought – and it is how a lot of people think – that heart conditions are something old people have. In reality, some people are born with them; some can get them when they are young. You can get them anytime in life.
Returning home was an adjustment. It was a weird time. In the beginning, I didn’t do much at all. It was just about finding myself. I tried to find all the positives of being home and not playing football any more – being with my family; celebrating my nephew’s birthday; being able to see friends without having to plan it six months in advance. Having that space has allowed me to learn how to be at peace with not being a footballer any more. I didn’t imagine me being so … I wouldn’t say happy … but settled with the situation.
Through all this, I have discovered that I have been my biggest help. I have been strong just being me. You don’t really tell anyone that you feel strong and that you can help yourself and be independent, but I feel like I have always been like that. I have learned that I am mentally strong as well.
It took me a while to get back to football. I did not want to watch it at first – I guess it was because it was taken away from me and the only way to cope was to just take a step back. My boyfriend’s father eventually wore me down. He has season tickets for Brøndby, and I finally agreed to go. I had played at the club for four years and it was great to be back, hearing the music they play when they walk on to the pitch and just watching some football live.
I have also been learning more about my condition – what I am and what I am not allowed to do. I obviously cannot play professional football where I train every day and play a match at the weekend. But I am allowed to go for a jog or play football for fun. I play a lot of padel and go to the gym or play normal tennis or badminton – anything where my heartbeat does not get into the red zone and overly stressed.
I have become an ambassador for the Danish Heart Foundation and want to raise awareness of heart disease as much as possible, particularly in sport. Why did I have to move to Italy, where they have very strict rules around testing, to learn that I had a heart condition I have had my whole life? That is kind of crazy. The what-ifs are scary.
I have discovered that in a lot of leagues, clubs only do a resting ECG and an ECHO cardiogram. The rules differ between Fifa and Uefa and change from league to league. I wrote a letter for FifPro in February because I want to help the sport find the best way forward. Every player, including amateurs, should be tested. We have so many kids, young people and adults who play football or any sport and do not get checked. We are putting a lot of lives at risk. I know it is about resources and money, but it has to be a priority.
What is next for my career? I am still figuring that out. I have applied for some different studies in Denmark – anthropology, sociology and architecture. I am just trying to look at jobs in and out of football. There have been a lot of people who have reached out to me and it is great to feel the support. I have also been taking part in Visa’s Second Half programme which helps you to find a different path. I am 27. I have a lot of time to figure it out and all the doors are still open. If I had played until I was 35 or 40 then it might have been too late to try different things.
It is about how capable you are at adapting to change. Even though this one has been sad, it has also been good. Obviously, there are always hard moments. I have had days where I have cried and been angry and everything is unfair. But there is always something positive in something negative. It is just about being able to find that. Once you do, it will only make change that much easier to accept.
Rikke Sevecke won 54 caps for Denmark and played for Brøndby, Fleury 91 and Everton. She was speaking to Sophie Downey.
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