Photo Credit: Brisbane Heat
As well as being one of the stars of world cricket with the ability to change a game in an instant, Brisbane Heat allrounder Amelia Kerr is also making a difference to her community.
The New Zealand product this week launched a new series of videos on her ‘Out Of The Rough’ website, a mental health initiative that tells her story and those of other individuals who have grappled with mental illness.
‘Melie’, who turned 22 last week in Mackay while playing in the opening rounds for the Heat in the Weber Women’s Big Bash League, has provided a heartfelt insight into the challenges she faced when she opted to take a break from the game last year.
Her ‘Treading Water’ series features videos of her and seven other New Zealanders sharing their stories of mental illness and recovery with Melie.
Along the way, she has applauded her fellow cricketers who have helped in “normalising” the conversation.
“We’ve seen more people, the likes of Nat Sciver and Meg Lanning, and it’s awesome to see people being open about why they’re stepping away from the game,” Kerr told the ICC website recently.
“(Out of the Rough) is very exciting because it’s something I’m extremely passionate about and I guess for me that’s the work and the field I want to go down.
“It’s something I want to speak openly about.”
Amelia has enjoyed a solid start to her WBBL campaign, playing alongside her sister Jess in teal for the first time, and will look forward to her extended family joining them in Brisbane next week ahead of the Heat’s series of matches at Allan Border Field.
Brisbane take on the Sydney Thunder on Tuesday night, Adelaide Strikers on Thursday night and the Perth Scorchers on Saturday evening.
The Treading Water series is now live on the Out Of The Rough website: https://outoftherough.nz/portfolio/treading-water-2/
