I have endometriosis and my cycle has always been really irregular. It has been really difficult to manage this around training and competition. I often experience pain, fatigue and bloating, which is not always accompanied by my period. At times the bloating has been so bad I’ve been mistaken for being pregnant. Body image has a huge impact on self-belief which is really important to performance in sport and when you hear these sorts of comments regularly, you start to believe it. Not only was I dealing with the physical impacts of my period and cycle, I was also dealing with the emotional impacts. My confidence at that time took a hit, I developed an eating disorder and my performance went downhill fast. Sportspeople including coaches and players need better education about menstrual cycles and open conversations to enable better understanding of individual cycles and impacts.