A BRADFORD City legend is hoping football fans can use watching Euro 2024 as an opportunity to open up about any health or well-being concerns.
Coinciding with the start of the tournament this Friday is Men’s Health Week which runs from June 10-16.
There was a huge outpouring of support when Chris Kamara, former City player and manager, went public about being diagnosed with apraxia of speech.
Ahead of Euro 2024, the 66-year-old has teamed up with independent brewery Brew York to launch ‘Kammy’s Un-Beer-Lievable’ lager, which will see a donation from every sale made to Prostate Cancer UK.
Kamara is set to host an event on June 18 in Guiseley where fans can watch the Euro 2024 match between Turkey and Georgia, with all proceeds from ticket sales donated to the charity, which he hopes can help encourage plenty of chat – and not just about the football.
“I used to be the worst (at talking about health issues), now I am the total opposite,” he told the PA news agency.
“I am preaching to people, to tell them to go and see their doctor, where three years ago I was a total dinosaur.
“I used to scoff at mental health (issues) – I kept thinking, ‘oh come on, man up. What can be so bad? Don’t worry about it’.
“And then you suffer from it yourself. You have got these little blokes in your head talking to you and telling you that ‘you are no good anymore, you are not right for this world’.
“That is what happens – then all of a sudden you start to believe that little voice in your head.
“Unless you speak to people and get help, then that is the only way out of it – keeping it to yourself is the worst thing ever.”
Kamara, who explored his AOS diagnosis in a documentary for ITV, has travelled to Mexico to take part in some clinical trials to aid his ongoing rehabilitation, with encouraging results.
“If you had asked me 18 months ago, or probably 10 months ago, I would have said, ‘no I am not doing these things any more,'” he said.
“Thankfully, I have had some experimental treatment in Mexico and I have got my fluency back in my voice. The improvement is like I was probably 25 per cent the old me, now I am up to 80 per cent of the old me."
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