Alex Scott #SayYesToLife Diary 2 - On A Personal Journey Of Discovery

Having made her name on the football pitch with Arsenal and England, Alex Scott has become one of the UK’s best known broadcasters, fronting coverage of major sporting events, chat shows and even her own quiz show.

You’ll know her for her incredible energy and bubbly personality but what you might not know is that for years she’s struggled with osteoarthritis and joint pain as a result of an old football injury. All the same (as you can tell from her busy schedule!) she doesn’t let it stop her living her best life.

Alex embodies everything we’d want from a FlexiSEQ ambassador and we’re incredibly pleased that over the next few months she’s going to be checking in to let us know what she’s been up to and how she always looking to #SayYesToLife.

As we approach the midpoint of the year I’ve got some amazing projects lined and I’m feeling great.

Top of the list is my new book. It was always going to be my biggest project for the year because it is the most personal. People know me from football, they see me on the TV and I wanted to give an insight into who I am and how I got here. It isn’t a sports book, it’s not about what I achieved in the game, you can find that all on the internet, but rather it’s about the lessons I’ve learned in life. My hope is it will allow people to get to know me as a person and how I managed to get to where I am because of my background and the journey I’ve been on.

My journey through therapy, going on my own personal journey has helped shape this for me. I'm absolutely ready to express all my emotions because I’ve been to some dark places and I want people to know how it’s really been for me.

Writing this book has been one of my proudest achievements. I never thought I’d be able to do it.

It's about being open and understanding myself, and it's had a knock on effect that I didn't expect which is about how it helps other people. For example, working with FlexiSEQ. I didn’t realise the impact it would have on other people hearing that they are not alone in living with joint pain and arthritis. It’s about removing the stigma around things like arthritis and mental health, that these things can impact anyone, young or old, even that smiley person you see presenting on your TV.

I managed to spend some quality time with my Mum on Mother’s Day. There will be more about it in my book but my Mum is such an inspirational woman in my life. We had a lovely holiday together where I managed to put the finishing touches to the first draft of the book.

I also made sure to really celebrate International Women’s Day. We have come so far, but we all know that we need to keep working so hard. To change perceptions and make younger women, the next generation coming through believing that there's a space in any field they choose to follow.

This year I’ve made a conscious decision to make my body more efficient and really understand what I’m putting into it. Anyone can wake up in the morning and take vitamins and supplements but they might not necessarily be the right ones for you. I spoke to a professional who broke down exactly what I'm lacking in my body, what I need more of to boost it. Little things like taking zinc, more vitamin D. Things that can make a big impact on your day to day wellbeing. If you feel good then you can tackle anything, so I always want to be the best me possible.

I’ve been so lucky to go to events like the BAFTAs and the Brit Awards. They're the sort of things that pinch me moments in life. I never thought I’d get to go to things like this so I try to remind myself to enjoy it. To be really present in the moment and never forget the journey I’ve been on to allow me to go to events like those.

And now it’s onto the rest of the year with some great things coming up for me. I’ve just hosted Soccer Aid which I love. Last year we did it in Manchester and this year we were at West Ham’s London Stadium - the old Olympic Stadium - so it was nice to be in my home town. It’s such a great event and amazing to be helping UNICEF raise money to help kids. I feel so privileged to be part of such an important cause.

Thanks for reading, I’ll be doing more #SayYesToLife diaries in the coming months and in the meantime, stay safe, stay active and most of all, stay happy.

Alex Scott