Ireland winger James Lowe opens up about childhood illness as part of ‘Tackle your Feelings’ campaign

Lowe revealed he suffered from a “rare form of Arthritis” as a child, resulting in negative knock on effects on his mental health.

James Lowe is one of the newest ambassador Tackle your Feelings campaign, an initiative set up by Rugby Players Ireland, Zurich and the Z Zurich Foundation to invite Post primary schools to take part in the 2021/2022 Tackle Your Feelings Schools mental wellbeing programme as part of the #ImTakingControl campaign. 

The programme is designed to instil a positive proactive approach to mental health and wellbeing among young people, reducing stigma and encouraging the development of positive wellbeing habits which they can bring throughout their school career and into adulthood.

The Tackle Your Feelings Schools Programme is a classroom based, teacher led, life skills development programme which enables students to build healthy habits and personal coping strategies as well as kindness and understanding when it comes to mental health and wellbeing.

In a press release announcing the campaigns newest ambassadors, Lowe revealed his own personal reasons for getting behind the programme.

The 2021/22 programme includes an 8-lesson schedule, covering awareness, emotions, wellbeing characteristics and self-care. Recent research, commissioned by Zurich & Rugby Players Ireland and conducted by iReach with 1,000 parents across the island of Ireland in August 2021. Among many shocking figures, it revealed:

• 42% of parents in Munster agree their children’s interpersonal skills have suffered as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic.

• 39% of parents in Munster think that their children would be more open to discussing mental health with their friends if they have downloaded the Tackle Your Feelings App and completed the TYF School programme.

• 58% of parents in Munster agree that seeing role models like rugby players take control of their mental health inspires their children to do the same.

Also named as an ambassador to the programme is Ireland Women’s Captain and Munster Rugby Player Ciara Griffin. As a teacher herself, Griffin outlined the importance of a programme like TYF. Griffin explode that a programme such as this will equip students with the tools to demonstrate the importance in maintaining their mental health, as well as help them develop positive techniques to handle any challenges they face and to build effective habits as they grow into adults.

Since the campaigns launch in 2016, Tackle Your Feelings has impacted the lives of people from all over the world, with campaign content being viewed well over 23 million times. TYF has undoubtedly motivated people to be more proactive when it comes to looking after their mental wellbeing and has raised significant awareness around the importance of looking after of your mental health.

TYF has also reached international audiences and has inspired similar campaigns across the globe, including; The English Rugby Players’ Association (RPA), ‘Lift the Weight’ campaign, New Zealand Rugby’s ‘HeadFirst’ campaign and Tackle Your Feelings Australia, a collaboration between Zurich Australia, the AFLPA and AFLCA. 

For more information on Tackle Your Feelings follow the Instagram account @tyf or visit the website www.tackleyourfeelings.com which will share videos, updates on events and competitions.