Sport has the ability to provide unique highs and lows. In a world where rollercoasters of emotions seem to occur weekly, few sporting stories demonstrate that more than Australian fast bowler Lauren Cheatle.
Cheatle had an upbringing that mirrored that of thousands of kids across Australia, playing cricket in the garden with her dad and brother, or “backyard battles” as she describes it.
A lack of girls cricket meant she competed against boys in her age group and it can’t have done much harm as she became the youngest female player to earn a professional contract with New South Wales Breakers.
When the Women’s T20 Big Bash League began, deals with the Sydney Thunder, and then later Sydney Sixers, soon followed before the moment all backyard battlers dream of – a first Baggy Green cap for Australia.
Not only that, but her appearance at the age of 17 against India at Melbourne made her the youngest female player to play a T20I for Australia.
“It was unbelievable and something I’ve still got to pinch myself about when I look back at it,” Cheatle tells Sky Sports.
“I was still at school, all very much part-time and I didn’t understand the significance of it at the time. It was such an awesome experience. It didn’t all go to plan after that, but I had the best time and still can’t really believe it.”
Not going to plan is something of an understatement. After a run in Australia’s white ball sides, Cheatle had to have reconstructive surgery on her shoulder. She got back onto the pitch, but a couple of months later injured it again, leading to more surgery. She then had a back stress fracture that kept her out of action for eight more months, before two more rounds of shoulder surgery.
“I won’t lie, it was super tough to come back from that. It took a lot of work with our strength and conditioning coaches, but before you get back on the pitch you do so much work that not many people see,” she added.
Cheatle chats through a career in which she has had to battle back from four shoulder surgeries and a back stress fracture
“A lot of people put a lot of effort into my body and I’m truly grateful for that. There are times when you second-guess yourself over whether you can or can’t do it, but I’ve had the most incredible support that has led me to keep playing cricket.
“They’ve all been unbelievable from Cricket Australia right down to my high school best friends. They’ve all come on that journey with me, I couldn’t have done it alone and I’m really grateful for them.”
After months of injury setbacks, Cheatle was back on the field once again, but then received a devastating piece of news that dwarfed all her previous injuries.
“Skin cancer has happened to both my parents so I knew I was more at risk than other people, so from a young age I’ve had my skin checked every year.
“I went in for what I thought was a regular skin check and it turned out to be skin cancer. I had melanoma. That was really scary, it’s definitely something you don’t expect at 23-years-old.”
Cheatle has had to recover from skin cancer twice, and reveals both her parents have suffered with it
Cheatle went under the knife again, having surgery on her shin and groin to remove the cancer. After receiving the news that she had the all-clear, she turned her attention back to cricket.
“Trying to get back to cricket helped me through that tough time – having something to look forward to and work towards. It was super scary and I can’t get the message out enough to go and get your skin checked, but I’m thankful it all worked out.”
And work out it did. Cheatle’s performances for Sixers in the Big Bash and New South Wales earned her a first call up for Australia in four years and it was a big one – a Test match against India in Mumbai last December.
“I was so excited as I genuinely didn’t think I was going to have that opportunity again, so for them to have that faith in me, to play for Australia in that Baggy Green is something I’ll never forget.
“To do it in India in really tough conditions was an experience for sure. We didn’t win but I learned so much about myself and the game out there and I was truly grateful for that experience.”
Cheatle (far right) is the youngest woman ever to play for Australia, having first featured aged 17
However, Cheatle’s rollercoaster of a career would suddenly take another dip. Just a month after the high of that Test cap, she was told that her cancer had returned.
“It was totally unexpected and probably hit me a bit harder than the first time because I thought I’d got over it. I’d played for Australia again and things seemed to be going really well for the first time, so to have another surgery was super upsetting and really disappointing.
“Your mind goes through all these things, ‘should you stop playing a sport where you’re in the sun all day if you’ve had two skin cancers at 25?’ But all I want to do is play cricket so if that meant taking six months off again, then I’ll do that.
“I’m only 25 with hopefully a lot of years left to play and I’ve got the support of everyone around me in my inner circle and Cricket Australia seems to have my back as well, so I’m truly grateful.”
The surgery proved to be successful, so Cheatle was able to return to the cricket pitch once again. An illness and injury-free run has helped her undoubted talent shine, putting in match-winning performances for the Sixers and Southern Brave, so could that put her name back in the thoughts of the Australian selectors?
“It’s everyone’s dream to play for their country and to have had a taste of it at such a young age has made my determination to play for them even stronger. But peeling it back, just to have a full season on the park, keeping my body right will be great and whatever flows on from that will be.”
Cheatle now has her sights set on an Australia recall, still aged just 25
Cheatle may only be 25, a youngster in cricketing terms, but has been forced to become one of the most resilient characters in sport, having experienced more highs and lows than most do in an entire career. With mental health in sport very much in the spotlight, she says allowing yourself to be vulnerable is key.
“What got me through a lot of bad challenges was to lean on people around you – you don’t have to keep it to yourself and put on a brave face every time you walk out there. The strength in vulnerability is huge.
“To let people in and let them help and support you is massive. Also, you have to keep enjoying it. You need to love it to get back to it and the people around you will get you there. The girls I play with are like my family.
“In fact, I probably see them more than my family these days. You get so entrenched in their lives that they’re definitely an extended version of you. You need those people in your life, and I’m grateful to have so many.”
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