Playing Professional Cricket with MS

DI GILLETT [Host] (00:00)

doing stats. how are you thinking of launching? You’ve just got three or four points you want to make.

 

JEMMA BARSBY [Guest] (00:09)

Well yeah, I pretty much just went off your examples. So the three, yep, the three examples,

 

DI GILLETT [Host] (00:13)

Yeah, perfect. Perfect, Yep.

 

And then what I’ll do is come in and introduce the podcast. And then when I come, when I actually throw and say, you know, welcome to the welcome to the podcast, Jemma, then then we’ll start the the Q &A. One question that I didn’t have in the run sheet that I’d love to ask you and probably should have put in is ⁓ professional athletes are held to

 

know, high standard on what you’re allowed to consume and those sorts of things. Can I ask you about that in relation to managing MS and is that a juggling act? Is that something I can touch on?

 

JEMMA BARSBY [Guest] (00:57)

Yeah, that’s fine. Yeah. That’s the end. wish you all.

 

DI GILLETT [Host] (01:01)

Because I mean, if we think about, God, it was 1986 that we only turned around and said PRP is blood doping and hey, it’s got major advantages. So I’m sure it’s a general interest question just in terms of how you manage that. beautiful, beautiful. Well, I’m in your hands. You can fire away whenever you’re ready and I’ll…

 

JEMMA BARSBY [Guest] (01:21)

Yeah, yeah, no, easy done.

 

You

 

DI GILLETT [Host] (01:31)

I’ll follow in after you.

 

JEMMA BARSBY [Guest] (01:33)

Yep, sounds good.

 

DI GILLETT [Host] (01:35)

Okay.

 

JEMMA BARSBY [Guest] (01:36)

I ⁓ women when I feel heard and respected. I believe that everyone has a voice. ⁓ My purpose in life is to help people in the sporting arena and people living with MS.

 

DI GILLETT [Host] (01:57)

Thanks, Jemma. Now you’ve got a puppy dog in the background.

 

JEMMA BARSBY [Guest] (02:01)

Yeah, of course she just went off then,

 

so… Do you need me to redo them?

 

DI GILLETT [Host] (02:05)

That’s all right.

 

No, no, no, no, we’ve got we’ve got enough of a gap and I’ll do mine. What does ambition really demand over the long term? I’m Di Gillett and this is the Power of Women podcast. And what I love about this platform is the opportunity to showcase and celebrate the strength, resilience and achievements of women from all walks of life.

 

And through revealing lived experience, it becomes a chorus of wisdom that makes sure women are seen just not for what we do, but for who we are. And today’s conversation is one of those conversations that sits right at the intersection of performance, ambition, and endurance. My guest is a leader in Australian, let me do that piece again, Daryl. My guest is a leader in Australian women’s cricket.

 

performing at an elite level in a sport that continues to fight for parity while asking its athletes to deliver excellence. Her name is Jemma Barsby. Jemma’s career is a study in endurance, physical, mental, and professional, and it’s shaped further by the realities of living and competing with MS, multiple sclerosis. This is a conversation about what it takes to show up.

 

week after week at the highest level. And she’s already a winner in my book, Jemma Barsby, Welcome to the Power of Women podcast.

 

JEMMA BARSBY [Guest] (03:40)

Thank you, thanks for having me. What an intro.

 

DI GILLETT [Host] (03:43)

Jemma, what was the inspiration behind the decision to play cricket and why cricket?

 

JEMMA BARSBY [Guest] (03:53)

Yeah, it’s a good question. I asked this quite a lot. I was very fortunate to grow up in a cricketing family. my dad, Trevor Barsby, played cricket for Queensland for quite a number of years. And he was a part of the first shield win for Queensland, which was now 30 years ago, which is pretty incredible. So I think it was just from being around his games and just from a young age, was a picture of me picking up a

 

instead of getting a photo with dad for his last game, it me going for the cricket ball and just had the eyes for it. So was pretty much since I could walk that I kind of had… ⁓

 

DI GILLETT [Host] (04:29)

There’s

 

the competitive streak right out the gate.

 

JEMMA BARSBY [Guest] (04:34)

Yeah, going for

 

the ball, not wanting a photo or whatnot, just going straight for that ball to get it into my hands. yeah, it was kind of like pretty, yeah, pretty, like I said, pretty much since I could walk, there was definitely no pressure from mom or dad to go down that path of cricket. And they wanted me just to fall in love for it for my own reasons. And yeah, I just naturally did that from going from backyard cricket to starting at the local club in Brisbane.

 

DI GILLETT [Host] (04:37)

Yeah.

 

JEMMA BARSBY [Guest] (05:02)

playing under sevens with the boys and then following that through to under 17s and then heading over to the women’s side of things from there. So yeah, I was pretty much from the get-go, got straight into cricket.

 

DI GILLETT [Host] (05:10)

If.

 

Wow, so how old were you literally when you picked up that ball?

 

JEMMA BARSBY [Guest] (05:20)

or I was this white haired little girl, I probably maybe like three maybe? Yeah, so I was just like, yeah it was pretty much, yeah, probably I could pretty much walk.

 

DI GILLETT [Host] (05:28)

Yeah, wow.

 

And are you an

 

only child or have you got siblings?

 

JEMMA BARSBY [Guest] (05:36)

I’ve got an older brother and a younger sister. So my brother played a couple of games for Queensland as well. And ⁓ my sister, I think, one season, but says she never played cricket. So she’s the real girly girl in the family. ⁓

 

DI GILLETT [Host] (05:52)

There you have it. So who was the inspiration? Was it dad or was it more than that?

 

JEMMA BARSBY [Guest] (05:59)

⁓ yeah, when I always get asked this question, I always like, I always try and I guess think of someone, but I probably necessarily didn’t really have anyone, but obviously, yeah, it was great to see. Yeah. Yes. I probably, yeah, I probably should say it was dad and just, guess what he was able to achieve during his career and even how he went about his, ⁓ style of batting is very aggressive. ⁓ everyone that I spoke speak to.

 

DI GILLETT [Host] (06:08)

You know he’s listening. You know he’s hanging out for you to say it’s him.

 

JEMMA BARSBY [Guest] (06:24)

about the way when he played his cootie, was like, he wasn’t there to muck around, he’s got on with his business. So yeah, I loved that about the way dad went about it. And I think that’s where I probably enjoyed watching the likes of Matthew Hayden, Adam Gilchrist go about the way they batted because they were very aggressive and took the game on too. So they were probably the people growing up that I liked to watch playing.

 

DI GILLETT [Host] (06:49)

Yeah, and were they your heroes?

 

JEMMA BARSBY [Guest] (06:52)

⁓ I wouldn’t necessarily say heroes, but I did enjoy watching the way they went about it. I ⁓ probably didn’t really have any heroes growing up. I kind of just liked to watch the game for what it was and just kind of went about it my own way, ⁓ the way of playing. So yeah, wouldn’t say I necessarily had any heroes growing up.

 

DI GILLETT [Host] (07:15)

Outside of cricket, were there others that you looked to on the sporting arena though?

 

JEMMA BARSBY [Guest] (07:22)

⁓ outside of cricket, ⁓ not necessarily. did enjoy just, think, ⁓ probably just like our backyard career with my brother. And we had a few of his mates, ⁓ stay with us over the years growing up because I was from the country. So when they were playing state cricket, ⁓ they’d come down for competitions and stay with us. So it kind of then, guess that competition of playing with guys three years older than me and my brother that it kind of, ⁓ built that resilience into me of, ⁓

 

not being able to get them out or they’d get me out first ball and then go and crying so to mom and dad so it taught me a lot of lessons growing up too so yeah was good fun.

 

DI GILLETT [Host] (07:52)

Yeah.

 

I too grew up with Brothers One in particular who was highly competitive and achieved on the sporting stage and all of my resilience with a capital R came from that childhood and the experiences of really survival. So I can get it.

 

JEMMA BARSBY [Guest] (08:16)

You

 

Yes, yes. Yeah, I can, yeah, it

 

helped me. Yeah, it helped me in my underage with the boys as well, because obviously myself and then I was very fortunate to have another girl playing my side from pretty much all the underage from up to 17s where we play with the guys. you kind of obviously once you got to the under 17s with them, they obviously grew and started having their growth spurts and becoming into a man. So they started to grow and I stayed the same height. So it was definitely.

 

good learning curve and built that resilience up as well playing against them and the under 17s where I was just getting bounced the whole time while was batting but yeah it was cool.

 

DI GILLETT [Host] (08:54)

Yeah.

 

So was

 

there a female league at that stage under 17 or was playing with the boys your only option?

 

JEMMA BARSBY [Guest] (09:09)

Um, yeah, probably back with, yeah, when I was in and around there, was mainly just playing with the boys. Like that was obviously women’s cricket, but I was still, um, quite young to be playing women’s cricket. So they didn’t really have any actual women’s sides or girls sides growing up. So yeah, it was just myself and another girl playing yet all underage. So it’s only been probably the last, or maybe 10 years that there has started to be an all girls teams coming through. So yeah, that’s exciting that they are then.

 

DI GILLETT [Host] (09:21)

Mm.

 

JEMMA BARSBY [Guest] (09:39)

having full girls teams and actually playing against the guys still as well.

 

DI GILLETT [Host] (09:39)

Mmm.

 

So were there mentors for you as you made that transition ⁓ from a 17 year old into starting to pursue this endeavour?

 

JEMMA BARSBY [Guest] (09:57)

Yeah, definitely. think the one that stands out for me is, it was obviously a really crucial time for me. I used to bowl medium pace, but I obviously stopped growing and quite short. a gentleman called Paul Pink, which unfortunately he’s not with us anymore, but he, I remember he was a selector for the Queensland Fire, which is the state women’s side. And he pulled me aside and was like, if you want to get any further with your cricket, I think you should.

 

go to ⁓ spin and he took me down to the nets for a few sessions and taught me how to spin bowling and yeah, have massive credit to him to be able to, I guess, have that effort to take me down to the nets to teach me a whole new skill and ⁓ then to, I guess, do that for probably six months and then get picked in the Queensland side. Yeah, forever thankful for him for his time and effort to, I guess, pursue that opportunity for me.

 

DI GILLETT [Host] (10:54)

And for you, do you see the role of mentor being an important role that you’re gonna play for the generation coming in behind you?

 

JEMMA BARSBY [Guest] (11:04)

Yeah, absolutely. And I would be the first to say that I forget about doing that sometimes too, or I forget that I am a role model to the younger ones coming up. And it’s not until they say a couple of things or when we do our culture sessions at the start of the year. And I remember one of them goes, yeah, I look up to you and I was like, kind of just, I guess, stopped me in my tracks. I was like, yeah, right. Like I forget that, yes, they’re my teammates, but they also look up to me and ⁓

 

DI GILLETT [Host] (11:20)

Mmm.

 

JEMMA BARSBY [Guest] (11:33)

watch everything that I do, how I train, how I go about it, even in and around games. So yeah, it’s pretty surreal still and getting used to that, but ⁓ I find I’m very fortunate that I’ve seen it from being non-professional to guess for me being a hobby to now being somewhat professional. ⁓ It’s been pretty cool and I definitely would not change that at all.

 

DI GILLETT [Host] (11:42)

Mmm.

 

Yeah. And you just mentioned somewhat professional. I mean, what’s that step between somewhat professional and your pure focus?

 

JEMMA BARSBY [Guest] (12:11)

Yeah, so I do do cricket full time. Well, ⁓ sorry, not necessarily full time, but it is my job. But we’re classified as point eight. So we’re not officially full time. Yeah, it’s really silly. Very silly. But ⁓ yeah, so that classifies us as not. Yeah.

 

DI GILLETT [Host] (12:15)

Yeah.

 

Point eight, where are you in life? Point eight, that’s, I mean, that’s

 

a little bit grating. How does that land?

 

JEMMA BARSBY [Guest] (12:35)

Yeah, it’s annoying. Like, and that’s probably the thing that we’ve, I guess, fought for, for number of years. Like, yes, it’s very good that the women’s pay has gone up over the years and that we are like, that I am able to do this now solely. But then when you compare it to the men and where they’re at, we still have that massive gap, even at the, the way up to the Aussie level. Like say, for instance, I don’t know, like, but the Aussie captain is on millions of dollars where the Aussie captain at the women’s sides.

 

on maybe a couple hundred thousand, like that difference is still huge and that goes, flows all the way down. So it’s, I guess it’s respecting, yes, our position has gone up and it’s got better, but we still also have a long way to go as well. And we need to continue to push those barriers down to make it as equal as we can.

 

DI GILLETT [Host] (13:24)

Can I ask, is it ⁓ realistic and is it possible to survive as a ⁓ professional cricketer with, in the absence of significant sponsorship deals in place or is it only through the marriage of that and the remuneration that you can truly make a fist of it?

 

JEMMA BARSBY [Guest] (13:47)

I think it depends on this with crickets, obviously cricket in general is very confusing as a sport, but then you add contracts on that as well. And there’s two different contracts. So there’s obviously the state based one, which is all year round. And then you got the WVBL one, which is you play that for two months. So there’s two contracts. So yeah. So if you have two contracts, would say, yes, you’re able to live on that. ⁓

 

DI GILLETT [Host] (14:07)

You got a couple of jobs. Yeah. Yeah.

 

JEMMA BARSBY [Guest] (14:17)

depending obviously how good you are because the contracting ⁓ scale is quite high. But then some people in our state side only have the state contract so they’re then quite well below other players. So it’s them trying to, guess, manage and negotiate but that’s mainly a lot of the younger girls. So they’re probably still fortunate that they’re living at home and have that access. So I think we’ve only got one girl who’s a rookie which is then even lower but she’s, well she had just completed school so.

 

DI GILLETT [Host] (14:22)

Mmm.

 

Mmm.

 

JEMMA BARSBY [Guest] (14:47)

⁓ Yeah, the variance is still quite high even within the state system.

 

DI GILLETT [Host] (14:53)

Yeah. So did seeing women play at a high level spur you on or was it regardless of seeing that and being able to follow that yourself?

 

JEMMA BARSBY [Guest] (15:06)

Yeah, was probably regardless of that, to be honest, didn’t really growing up, I didn’t really know, or we didn’t have the access to what we do now of watching women’s cricket. I didn’t really know the pathways or where like, yeah, that there was really an Australian side. Like it was kind of, wasn’t until I got older ⁓ that then I started to realize that there is a slight little pathway into negotiate down that path. So yeah, obviously growing up, I didn’t really know that women played.

 

DI GILLETT [Host] (15:09)

Mmm.

 

Mmm.

 

JEMMA BARSBY [Guest] (15:36)

create for Australia or for the state. yeah, I was kind of just doing it for the love of it to begin with. then that’s probably, yeah, once I got older, realized that it is a path that you could could go down.

 

DI GILLETT [Host] (15:43)

Mm.

 

So what was that tipping point Jemma? What was the tipping point of playing it out of love versus realising this could seriously become your full-time focus?

 

JEMMA BARSBY [Guest] (16:00)

Yeah, well, I was very fortunate. I debuted for Queensland at the age of 15, so I was still in school at that time. So I was juggling. remember I was, it was, we used to play T20 on the Friday afternoon and then play a one day, a Saturday and then play T20 on Sunday morning. So I’d go to school for up until lunchtime on the Friday and then go play cricket ⁓ pretty much Friday afternoon, Saturday, Sunday morning, have the pretty much Sunday morning off.

 

I mean, sorry, Sunday afternoon off and then go back to school Monday. So it probably wasn’t until ⁓ maybe even a few years down the track out of school when it actually started to, the pay started to increase and whatnot that I could actually do that as a full-time job. Cause I used to, ⁓ I love my coffee. I used to work in a cafe. So I’d go in between the two of cricket training and working at a cafe. And it’s probably only been maybe the last.

 

DI GILLETT [Host] (16:32)

Mm.

 

JEMMA BARSBY [Guest] (16:56)

Probably four years that I have like actually not worked in a cafe and just done this so it’s probably I’ve been within the last four years to be honest

 

DI GILLETT [Host] (17:00)

you

 

Yeah, wow. So from school picking up the hospitality gig to sustain that and bridge that gap. Yeah. Yeah.

 

JEMMA BARSBY [Guest] (17:15)

Yeah,

 

yeah. was, yeah, obviously still living at home and everything then too. um, yeah, the, the little, I guess, pocket money of the games that we used to play. think my first contract was maybe like $500 and that was for the season. I was, yeah. So, yeah, not many women were living off that back when I first started.

 

DI GILLETT [Host] (17:29)

Yeah ⁓

 

No, no, that’s quite the thing. Well, you’re listening to the Power of Women podcast and I’m joined by Australian women’s cricketer Jemma Barsby. And coming up in the conversation, we’re gonna talk about what really fuels Jemma’s ambition and how she prepares, competes and thrives whilst managing MS. That’s just a break in recording, Jemma. So that will do. Excellent.

 

JEMMA BARSBY [Guest] (18:03)

So good.

 

DI GILLETT [Host] (18:06)

So early on, were you driven by more the love of the game or was it the competitiveness that you learnt in the backyard that fuelled you?

 

JEMMA BARSBY [Guest] (18:18)

⁓ I’ve actually recently done my strength profiling, obviously being a leader within the side, SACO have been very good at letting me expand in my leadership side of things and my number one ⁓ strength came out was competitiveness. ⁓

 

DI GILLETT [Host] (18:21)

Mmm.

 

What was next?

 

What were the top three? Competitiveness?

 

JEMMA BARSBY [Guest] (18:45)

⁓

 

Then I used humor and then so that also humor is good but it also gets me in trouble sometimes when I take it too far. You know me too well already. ⁓

 

DI GILLETT [Host] (18:54)

can also be deflection, could also be deflection. yeah. Okay, so yeah. Number three,

 

what was the third one?

 

JEMMA BARSBY [Guest] (19:07)

Oh that is a very good question, I’ve gone blank. what was… Yeah, I’ll have to… Yeah, that is a very good question. Yeah, I’ll have to…

 

DI GILLETT [Host] (19:10)

That’s alright.

 

Let’s circle

 

back. Tell me about when humor’s got you into trouble.

 

JEMMA BARSBY [Guest] (19:21)

⁓ so many times when I don’t process what my mind’s thinking for then it to come out of my mouth. It’s the bit where it like comes out and then it’s like that part where you just want to like put it back in your mouth because I’ve used it.

 

DI GILLETT [Host] (19:27)

you

 

I do

 

that all the time. I say it’s an Aries trait. I’m not sure what star sign you are, Jemma.

 

JEMMA BARSBY [Guest] (19:38)

I’m a Libra. Yeah, it’s yeah, it me dirty. Yeah.

 

DI GILLETT [Host] (19:41)

Okay, okay.

 

Yeah, I mean, my standard line is, you know, I’ll speak now and apologize afterwards. And sometimes that works and sometimes it doesn’t. So, yeah.

 

JEMMA BARSBY [Guest] (19:59)

I know and you think yeah

 

the older you get the more like you have time to filter it but now that I’m 30 I’m still making the same mistake so it’s like the girls just look at me and go you’re still making I’m like yeah I apologize and then yeah.

 

DI GILLETT [Host] (20:07)

you

 

not going to stop. I’m over 60, Jemma, and I’m still doing it. So you’ve got years to go. So good luck with that. So could we get on to ⁓ your journey with MS? I know you’ve spoken openly about living with that.

 

JEMMA BARSBY [Guest] (20:14)

Yeah ⁓

 

It’s good to know that then.

 

DI GILLETT [Host] (20:36)

What’s the impact having multiple sclerosis has on your training and how you prepare every week?

 

JEMMA BARSBY [Guest] (20:44)

Yeah, yeah. So I’ve had it for about 10 years now. So I’ve been able to deal with it quite well. But I guess with MS, it’s the big unknown. Each day is different. I could wake up completely fine, go through training like there’s nothing wrong with me. there’s ⁓ days where I get really bad fatigue and have to, guess, chill out a bit. Or I get pins and needles and whatnot. know recently in the WBBL just gone, we had a hectic travel schedule. ⁓

 

and went through, yeah, it was pretty much really the play, we’d get on a flight. We went down to Hobart, so then it was obviously the Melbourne, well Adelaide, Melbourne, Melbourne to Tassie. And of course, like our flight got delayed, so I was like waiting around, and then that was a Sunday, and then the Monday I woke up and I had just had like, I was so fatigued, I was like, I was meant to go to training and stuff, and I was like, no, like I can’t get out of bed, so I was just laying ⁓ in bed all morning. ⁓

 

But it’s, guess like when I do have those bad days, it’s like that fighting of obviously I’m a very active person as well. So it’s like, okay, getting that rest in, also vitamin D is important to keep moving as well. So try and get out and get some fresh air and get some sun onto you. Just to, I guess, try and lye them back up.

 

DI GILLETT [Host] (22:00)

That’s one of ⁓ the key supplements, isn’t it, for MS is vitamin D.

 

JEMMA BARSBY [Guest] (22:06)

Yeah, it definitely is. that’s where I guess very thankful playing cricket. In the summer, I get a lot of vitamin D.

 

DI GILLETT [Host] (22:12)

I was going to say,

 

yeah, so in actual fact, there’s a fantastic marriage of being outdoors and in the daylight and a natural way of addressing some of the symptoms.

 

JEMMA BARSBY [Guest] (22:26)

Yeah, definitely. That’s where, yeah, very thankful that I’m able to still play cricket and it helps me get out and, ⁓ yeah, get some sunshine, but also food plays an important part too. So it’s just making sure that I’m, making sure that I’m fueling myself properly. And yeah, I guess I noticed that when I’m having, ⁓ if I have a couple of binge days or unleash a few days, like you can just know, feel a bit off. So it’s just, yeah, making sure that I fuel myself well in and around games, but also in life as well.

 

DI GILLETT [Host] (22:37)

Mmm.

 

You mentioned that your diagnosis was about 10 years ago. Was there a period of time in the lead up to that that you had symptoms that you didn’t know what they were before MS was actually diagnosed?

 

JEMMA BARSBY [Guest] (23:16)

No, I had none whatsoever. ⁓ yeah. No, not that I even noticed. So it wasn’t until like, yeah, the tips of my fingers went all numb for about three weeks post. I get, yeah, post like the weekend that I was invited into the Aussie camp, bowl. That’s when I had, yeah, sore shoulder and all the tips of my fingers were numb and numb for weeks. And then that’s when I decided to say something. like, this is, this is a bit weird that my tips of the fingers are numb and have been for weeks. So, ⁓

 

DI GILLETT [Host] (23:19)

⁓

 

JEMMA BARSBY [Guest] (23:45)

I voice up and say something. I guess within the sporting realm and also cricket, we’re very fortunate to have such quick access to MRI scans. So yeah, we were straight into getting an MRI scan from there and yeah, that’s pretty much how I found out.

 

DI GILLETT [Host] (23:57)

Mmm.

 

And how did that land at the time? For you.

 

JEMMA BARSBY [Guest] (24:09)

Yeah, it was very overwhelming. I didn’t know what MS was. It was, I was kind of like, okay, like cool. When she told me, ⁓ but then it wasn’t until she was like, started telling me to still have my career, like my goals and aspirations. That’s when I knew it was something serious. And I did the silly thing of, ⁓ Dr. Google straight after. Yeah. Recommend. Yeah. I don’t recommend because like the first things I saw was.

 

DI GILLETT [Host] (24:30)

Dr. Google. Of course you do. We all do. Yeah.

 

JEMMA BARSBY [Guest] (24:38)

in a wheelchair, life’s not great. And I was like, oh, like that’s probably when it hit me. And I was like, okay, this is something pretty serious. And I remember, yeah, like walking out of the doctor’s, just absolutely balling my eyes out. Cause I was just like, I’ve just pretty much started my career career. I’m 19. I’m about to like live, go live my adult life. And to be told this, it’s like, what’s next? And I remember it was the Thursday afternoon and then,

 

DI GILLETT [Host] (25:02)

Mm.

 

JEMMA BARSBY [Guest] (25:05)

not seeing the neurologist till the Monday. So being in that limbo of those days of being told you have an amnesia, but you’re just like, that was it. And you’re like, okay. And it wasn’t until saw the neurologist on the Monday to, I guess, go through it all and ask all the questions that I could. So yeah, was definitely, definitely overwhelming. And yeah, it was just taking it day by day from those next couple of months after that.

 

DI GILLETT [Host] (25:31)

So what have you had to adapt in terms of your physical and mental prep to ensure that you can perform at your best despite this being in the background?

 

JEMMA BARSBY [Guest] (25:45)

Yeah, I find I’ve been very fortunate even though I have got MS that I’ve been able to play every game. I have not missed a game, Touchwood with Kruget. Yeah, with it. So yeah, I’ve been very fortunate. Obviously I have days where I wake up or I’ve got, have, I guess like little relapses throughout the game because of the heat brings symptoms on. it’s, it’s been smart. used to obviously being that young kid, just try and fight through it and be like,

 

DI GILLETT [Host] (25:53)

That’s amazing. Wow.

 

Mmm.

 

JEMMA BARSBY [Guest] (26:13)

I’ll be fine. ⁓ Just head down. Yeah, that’s probably been the big learning over the years is actually to listen to my body and trying to tell me something when it’s, ⁓ I guess, yeah, having a bad day. So to rest and and to be open with the coaching staff, because I remember those definitely days throughout ⁓ pre-seasons or even trainings where I’m just like, I’m nowhere like the body’s starting to react.

 

DI GILLETT [Host] (26:15)

Yeah, you’ve learnt a lesson.

 

JEMMA BARSBY [Guest] (26:41)

And I try and push through where now I’m like, no, I’ve like I’ve got to say something or else will go on for days. So Yeah, I’ve definitely got better

 

DI GILLETT [Host] (26:49)

And

 

that’s a big deal, Jemma. Let’s just talk about that because I mean, you’re in a competitive space, you’re competitive by nature. We’ve already established that. How have you come to accept this degree and this level of openness without it feeling like it’s a bit of a leg rope that’s holding you back? Because that’s not easily done.

 

JEMMA BARSBY [Guest] (27:19)

Yeah, yeah, don’t get me wrong. definitely still have, I fought that big time where I’m just like no power on, but yeah, but ⁓ I think it’s also, it just shows that if you’re open in you and you’re honest and you have that trust and that relationship with the coaching staff, then ⁓ they’re more willing to listen and being brave. think that’s as soon as you’re willing to be open and be vulnerable and be like, no, I need to have a

 

DI GILLETT [Host] (27:25)

I bet you do. Yeah.

 

JEMMA BARSBY [Guest] (27:47)

quiet a day because I’m not feeling great ⁓ or can I reduce this and make up for it another day when I’m feeling better? ⁓ I think it just then gains that respect from them too of being like, right, like she actually must be feeling it. So we’ll just, yeah, so we’ll trust her and get on with it. And I think, yeah, obviously now being around for a long time in the cricketing circles, they know what I need to be able to prep for each game. So ⁓ they have that trust within me to

 

DI GILLETT [Host] (27:55)

Mm.

 

Mmm.

 

JEMMA BARSBY [Guest] (28:16)

to be right still to go when games come along.

 

DI GILLETT [Host] (28:20)

Yeah, and I think you’ve hit the nail on the head in terms of trust that goes both ways and that comes over time, but that is built through building rapport and it sounds like you have a fantastic network around you to sustain what you need to share and how you’re feeling.

 

JEMMA BARSBY [Guest] (28:43)

Yeah, 100%. And even prior to like the season, I caught up with our dietitian and went through what I need or required because we’ve got a new coaching staff. So we got a new physio and ⁓ S and C. just so they were aware of what’s required during a game when it is hot. So what my pre-cooling strategies are. So if that’s slushies before a game to make sure my my in yeah, my body temperatures.

 

as cool as possible before going out there to play. it’s just that communication. we have a word document now that they’re aware of what I like in and around games. And then it’s just on me to be open of when I feel like I need that. then, yeah, more than happy to help out, which I’m forever thankful for.

 

DI GILLETT [Host] (29:30)

What about the competitive space, Jemma? Do you feel supported by your competitors or do you think they look at that as perhaps ⁓ a point to actually gain momentum and one-upmanship?

 

JEMMA BARSBY [Guest] (29:44)

No, I don’t think so. think, yeah, they’re very good. think it’s, I think the more I’ve been able to speak about it be open about it, the more people are, guess, willing to more accepting of it. think at the start, people didn’t really know what MS was and was just kind of like, ⁓ like, go hurry up. But like, say if I’m wanting to drink, ⁓ more frequently, if I’m batting, ⁓ they’ll be like, ⁓ teams used to be like, come on. They were time wasting. Like we’re on a time limit.

 

DI GILLETT [Host] (29:55)

Mmm.

 

Mmm.

 

JEMMA BARSBY [Guest] (30:11)

But now

 

I think the more that I’ve been able to be open about, I guess, the symptoms and how I feel within a game, the ⁓ more respect and the more courtesy they have for me. And yeah, I can’t fault anyone, like any team or whatnot for that, where I just tell them I just need a couple extra drinks and they’re like, yeah, no worries, like take your time. yeah.

 

DI GILLETT [Host] (30:32)

Yeah, that’s great.

 

Because I know even we’ve got the Australian Open on in Melbourne at the moment and I know as viewers and members ⁓ of the crowd, we make judgment calls when somebody’s taking longer between ends and the like, but we must never assume to know what’s actually going on ⁓ in the bigger scheme of things.

 

JEMMA BARSBY [Guest] (30:57)

Yeah, 100%. I you nailed that on the head and even just in life in general as well. Just not with, I guess, the hate and that. just, yeah, in life you can’t judge people because you don’t know what they’re actually going through.

 

DI GILLETT [Host] (31:02)

Mm-hmm.

 

Yeah. So I know with high performing athletes and we’ve had plenty of examples over the years where, and even in cricket, think Shane Warren took something and had to blame his mum. So we’ve got examples of that. But how do you manage the protocols of what you do to manage your condition and still fit?

 

within the confines of what the doping and regulations are as a professional athlete.

 

JEMMA BARSBY [Guest] (31:46)

Yeah, definitely. know it was a bit uncertain when getting on medication for MS, obviously that’s you have to get going through those loopholes of what you can and can’t take as an athlete because yeah, we do get drug tested. So we had to triple check everything about the drug that I’m on, if it was accepted within the sporting avenue. even now I have to, I declare ⁓ when I do get drug tested that I am taking this so that they are

 

DI GILLETT [Host] (31:57)

Mmm.

 

JEMMA BARSBY [Guest] (32:15)

aware of it. But yeah, it’s just now like triple checking everything with the dietitian. If there’s something out there, I send it to her or there’s an app that you can check to see if you’re allowed to take that within your sport. ⁓ it has got better over the years, but yeah, you have to be super careful, even just little things when you’re out buying. ⁓ For instance, if you’re at a juice store, I don’t know if I can name the store, but say a juice store and they have ⁓

 

DI GILLETT [Host] (32:16)

Mm.

 

Absolutely,

 

yeah.

 

JEMMA BARSBY [Guest] (32:44)

Yeah, so if you’re for instance, you’re at a booth and you go and you see a protein ball, like we’re not allowed to have them because we’re not sure what protein they’re being is used. So it’s just like, I guess, things that I guess normal everyday people don’t even realize, but we have to make sure that we can’t have any of that anything that

 

DI GILLETT [Host] (32:53)

Mmm.

 

Yeah, so that

 

falls way outside your outside MS. That’s just everyday life. Yeah.

 

JEMMA BARSBY [Guest] (33:09)

Yep, yeah, everyday life.

 

But yeah, within the MS stuff, I don’t really have anything. It’s just the medication that I had to get checked off and cleared to be sure that I can take that and still be able to play cricket and not get done.

 

DI GILLETT [Host] (33:23)

you

 

Yeah, and look, and I’m sure that’s a moving minefield. I mean, it wasn’t until nine, even as recent as 1986 that we called PRP and blood doping and it was found to be performance enhancing because it sped up the way in which one recovers. And as a mere mortal, I know I can do it, but I’m pretty sure you’re not allowed to do it, I would guess.

 

JEMMA BARSBY [Guest] (33:55)

Absolutely not. But yeah, we have people come around to us every season and tell us our do’s and don’ts of ⁓ what’s changed for the year. ⁓ For instance, we weren’t allowed up and goes the protein energizers for a while, but now we’re allowed. So it’s just forever changing and just making sure ⁓ we’re on top of if anything’s changed.

 

DI GILLETT [Host] (33:58)

Yeah.

 

Is caffeine

 

an issue for you as an athlete? I mean, if you drank a Red Bull, is that problematic?

 

JEMMA BARSBY [Guest] (34:24)

Depends red the red balls are fine V’s when all I had to have so it’s even just live. Yeah Yep, so it’s even just little things like that where like one company might be fine But the other one is banned so you just yeah have to triple check everything to to make sure even Panadol there’s some Panadols that we’re not allowed to take even on game day out of competition like it just honestly you could go down a loophole with all like the

 

DI GILLETT [Host] (34:29)

wow, it’s very specific, yeah.

 

Mmm.

 

Wow.

 

JEMMA BARSBY [Guest] (34:52)

the do’s and don’ts and within competition without the competition. It’s crazy.

 

DI GILLETT [Host] (34:58)

So was opening up about having MS an easy decision or was it a strategic one to make your management of it easier?

 

JEMMA BARSBY [Guest] (35:12)

I think ⁓ I’ve been very fortunate over the years ⁓ that I’ve been on a lot of panels with MS and just hearing other people’s, ⁓ the way they obviously found out they got diagnosed and just the way they live their life with MS. yeah, it was quite ⁓ a real eye-opener for me where obviously, like I said prior, we get MRIs very quickly where people, ⁓ it takes them six months to a year to get an MRI. ⁓

 

DI GILLETT [Host] (35:40)

Yeah.

 

JEMMA BARSBY [Guest] (35:42)

And it was just a real eye-opener for me and to even then hear people get discriminated at work because they look completely fine, but they might be having a really bad day, but their boss tells them to push on because, ⁓ I can’t see anything wrong with you. So I think it was the more that I sat on those panels and spoke to other people living with MS that I was like, wow, like some people have gone through hell with this, let alone being diagnosed and found out all that process to then.

 

DI GILLETT [Host] (35:58)

you

 

JEMMA BARSBY [Guest] (36:11)

⁓ have that going on as well. That’s when I kind of realized I was like, right, with the little platform and profile that I have, I’m going to try and create that awareness. And even just talking about it now with people, ⁓ day to day, they go, ⁓ I know someone with MS and I know someone with MS and it’s actually incredible how many people do actually know people living with MS. I guess with anything, the more we speak about it, the more we can normalize it and ⁓

 

DI GILLETT [Host] (36:12)

Mmm.

 

Mmm.

 

JEMMA BARSBY [Guest] (36:40)

and help those people living with MS.

 

DI GILLETT [Host] (36:43)

Yeah, I think that’s fantastic. Are there other professional athletes ⁓ in the current day that have come out and shared their story with the same condition?

 

JEMMA BARSBY [Guest] (36:56)

I know this lady I met her through when I was working with MS Queensland. ⁓ name’s like Janine Watson. ⁓ She does taekwondo at the Paralympics and she’s a great example of, ⁓ she’s in and out of a wheelchair. So some days she’s having a really bad day, so she’s in a wheelchair. Other days she’s walking around ⁓ completely fine. So yeah, I just remember her so clearly and even just

 

how competitive she is where she’s like, she’ll even sometimes at competitions. Yeah. So sometimes you’ll rock up in a wheelchair and then get out and just go to town on her competitor and then get back in the wheelchair. it’s kind of.

 

DI GILLETT [Host] (37:28)

in such a physical sport.

 

There could be an advantage in that. Yeah, they might not see

 

you coming as a real threat.

 

JEMMA BARSBY [Guest] (37:45)

Yeah, so yeah, she’s been

 

incredible to get to know and learn her story over the years as well.

 

DI GILLETT [Host] (37:52)

Yeah, fantastic. So has living with MS changed your definition of strength as an athlete?

 

JEMMA BARSBY [Guest] (38:03)

Yeah, obviously cricket in general is a tough sport and then to add on trying to play with that with MS, I guess it gave me ⁓ real resilience and ⁓ but also gratitude that I’m able to still play the sport and cricket is about 90 % bad times or annoying times and that 10 % gets me back ⁓ playing with the fun times. So, ⁓

 

DI GILLETT [Host] (38:25)

you

 

Sounds like a golf game.

 

JEMMA BARSBY [Guest] (38:30)

Yeah, there’s days where you question why you play and it’s that 10 % that gets you

 

over the line of that competitiveness of winning a game. Yeah, but yeah, I think it’s just that competitive side of me that always kicks through and ⁓ shines through, especially when times do get tough.

 

DI GILLETT [Host] (38:48)

Yeah, well done. Well done you. So finally, as a message to the power of women community Jemma, for women watching athletes or not managing health alongside ambition, what does sustainable ambition look like when you’ve got to factor in your body as part of the equation?

 

JEMMA BARSBY [Guest] (39:15)

Yeah, think we touched on it earlier. I think it’s that openness to tell people around you how you’re feeling, to lean on the support networks that you build throughout, even if that’s family, friends, work colleagues, yeah, earning that trust within them and them giving it back. I think that’s a massive way of being able to live with MS within everyday life, work life, sporting life.

 

Yeah, to know that yes, you are going to have your ups and downs, but to be able to lean on those ones around you to get you through those ⁓ tougher days is really crucial and to be willing to accept help along the way too. think that’s massive and something I continue to tell myself and is a good learning for me too is to, yeah, that it’s okay to ask for help and lean on the ones around you.

 

DI GILLETT [Host] (40:09)

Mm.

 

And I think Jemma and I think the audience would agree, all of what you’ve just said and those traits and that vulnerability relates to life, whether you’re carrying a condition such as the one that you’ve got to cope with or not. think being vulnerable, knowing when to ask to help, all of those things can belong to the journey of life.

 

I think you’ve probably named really the recipe of that journey of how you face into the good days and the bad. But your job has probably a higher level of satisfaction. The bar’s higher than the average. think most people probably don’t have only the 10%. I think they’ve probably got a slightly better balance. So you live in very high performance.

 

JEMMA BARSBY [Guest] (40:58)

Yeah.

 

Hahaha

 

DI GILLETT [Host] (41:12)

space with all of you’ve got going on. think you just do the most incredible job. And as I opened up this podcast, I said, I think you’re a winner already and there is no doubt about it. I imagine you have made those around you very, very proud.

 

JEMMA BARSBY [Guest] (41:31)

Nah, thank you. Thank you for the kind words. And yeah, hopefully I can continue to help people along the way and ⁓ hopefully, yeah, one day be able to find a cure or be able to help people living with MS and people just in general. think, yeah, I think that’s it’d be pretty cool achievement.

 

DI GILLETT [Host] (41:42)

Mmm.

 

So how many years of cricket still in front of you Jemma? What’s the average age of retirement age for a cricketer? You’re coming up on 30, yeah.

 

JEMMA BARSBY [Guest] (41:53)

⁓

 

Yeah, I am 30. So turn 30 and yeah, hit my thirties. I thought that day would never come, but here it is. But yeah, people, people actually play well into their mid thirties. Yeah. Some are even hit that the 37 mark. So I still have a few years left in me, hopefully. And I guess that main thing obviously in sport, goes down to your performance and, the love and drive for it as well. So if the love and drives there and I’m still playing

 

DI GILLETT [Host] (42:01)

You’ve hit 30.

 

Mmm.

 

JEMMA BARSBY [Guest] (42:29)

Good cricket then yeah, hopefully continue playing for many more years to come. That’d be nice

 

DI GILLETT [Host] (42:34)

Yeah, brilliant. Well, you’re a fantastic role model in terms of the sport, in terms of life. I know the MS community value the ⁓ work that you’re doing and being a voice for it. It’s a powerful way to your life, Jemma. And you’ve got to cope with…

 

more hurdles than the average and you do it brilliantly. So thank you for your honesty and thank you for the inspirational messages that you’ve shared with us today. It’s been an absolute pleasure talking with you.

 

JEMMA BARSBY [Guest] (43:10)

No, I’m dying. Thank you for having me on the podcast. It’s yeah, I’m very appreciative. So thank you

 

DI GILLETT [Host] (43:15)

Brilliant. Wonderful. So if I think I’d put it to anybody to share what Jemma’s had to say to us today, because the fact of the fact of life of being able to show up every day, despite the hurdles that you may face and do it in a competitive environment, this becomes such an inspirational message for somebody that you feel you could give just at that little bit of a boost and a little bit of a nudge over the line.

 

Please share. Until next time.