'You are my heroes' - Antonio meets people who saved his life
Content warning: This article contains discussion around suicide and depression
"Meeting these people who saved my life has been very humbling."West Ham striker Michail Antonio's near-death experience has changed him, compelling him to engage with a recovery process containing mental and physical obstacles.The 35-year-old was involved in a car crash almost six months ago that resulted in him spending over three weeks in hospital with a broken leg, facing a gruelling journey back to fitness.He is now up and walking, continuing his rehabilitation programme, after shattering a thigh bone when his Ferrari skidded off the road and struck a tree in Epping Forest.The Jamaica international had been on his way home from training.Antonio is looking back in an effort to move forward. He spent time with BBC One's Morning Live, retracing moments that not only threatened his career but his life, and met those who responded to emergency calls on 7 December."I want to say thank you," he told Essex and Herts Air Ambulance paramedics Rob Moon and Dr James Moloney, "because obviously I wouldn't be here if it wasn't for you guys."You saved my life, so you guys are basically my heroes."
'We immediately knew who you were'
Antonio, who previously explained he has no memory of the accident, crashed and was trapped in his car. He was freed by crew from Essex County Fire and Rescue Service who left him in the care of ambulance staff.West Ham, in an initial announcement about the crash, said their "thoughts and prayers" were with Antonio.The seriousness of the accident is not lost on the former Nottingham Forest player.He said of the paramedics: "I don't remember their faces at all. It's crazy because of how important you guys were to me."Moon explained how he and Dr Moloney knew who they were treating: "There was one clue - there was a West Ham shirt in the passenger seat with Antonio on it."Antonio asked if he was speaking after the incident, and Moloney told him: "Yes, you were incredibly repetitive, but that happens when people bump their head."We kept asking about your football, who your manager was, whether you are enjoying your football. From our point of view, you were talking which was really reassuring for us."The paramedics explained Antonio was discovered on the back seat of the car and "quickly assessed" to have had fractured his femur.He was given pain relief, strapped to a board and put in an ambulance to shield him from the cold and rain.The crash came as Storm Darragh battered the UK.Meetings with paramedics are offered after life-threatening incidents to help patients rationalise what happened to them.Antonio was able to ask questions, including querying whether he was taken to hospital by air ambulance.Moloney clarified: "Whenever we can, we fly to hospital because it is quicker, but on the day the pilot quite rightly said no [because of the storm]."Antonio was driven to the Royal London Hospital in Whitechapel.In a previous interview with Morning Live in March, Antonio said: "I've always been a fan of sports cars, but I can't lie to you, sports cars are not my friends. So right now, I have a Mercedes people carrier and my brother is my driver."For now, anyway, I'm staying far away from sports cars."
'Family probably experienced it more than I did'
Antonio also met Trish Burton, a member of the patient and family team for the air ambulance, and told her how his loved ones "probably experienced the incident more than I did"."They've gone to the hospital, they've come to see me, they've seen how I was. I don't remember my face being cut or anything... and going down for surgery the next day, I don't remember doing that," Antonio said."But they were all in the hospital, they have those memories, they lived it whereas I didn't live it as much as them."Antonio has previously explained he "almost wasn't there" for his children and how the crash affected his 13-year-old eldest in particular.
Antonio talks trauma with Carlisle
Antonio said earlier this year it was "horrendous" for him to see a change of manager at West Ham during his lay-off, as Graham Potter replaced Julen Lopetegui.His contract expires in June and because of injury he has had no opportunity to impress Potter on the pitch, which Antonio said has affected his mental health.Antonio has been a public advocate for therapy since talking to the High Performance Podcast in May 2024. Past counselling sessions have helped to equip him for his latest setback.Antonio met with former Leeds, QPR and Burnley defender Clarke Carlisle, who explained how a serious knee injury in 2001 led him to alcoholism and how he made three suicide attempts between 2003 and 2017.Carlisle said: "The first time when adverse mental health came into my consciousness was in 2003 because I went into alcohol rehab. It is interesting timing because I got a knee injury in 2001 at QPR, which kept me out for two years."I was told I was going to walk with a stick and never play again at 21 after I had just broken into the England Under-21s."Even though that had happened in my life, and the club knew about it, we didn't treat it like a mental health thing that needed addressing. I didn't do anything about it until 2010 until I was officially diagnosed with depression."It took two further suicide attempts in 2014 and 2017 for me to actually take action on my mental health."Carlisle said he had been raised with the message that "you do not talk about our business outside this house".He added: "I didn't want to engage with any of the resources out there but that's changing now."Antonio has previously explained he used to "push down" his emotions and could not celebrate West Ham's Uefa Conference League success in 2023 because of his mental health struggles."When I was talking to Clarke I definitely identified with the culture side of things, not to put your business out to the world," Antonio said."I definitely could feel what he was saying because that's what I had to experience when I was younger."
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The Guardian
14 minutes ago
- The Guardian
How every Premier League club's summer business is shaping up
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Ben Fisher No wonder the Bournemouth technical director, Simon Francis, recently conceded they are victims of their own success. Even before last season ended, the club were being mined for their prized assets, with Real Madrid triggering the £50m release clause in Dean Huijsen's contract. Milos Kerkez, who has been a superb signing from AZ Alkmaar, is poised to join Liverpool, so a left-back is high on the agenda. Paris Saint-Germain have also inquired about Illia Zabarnyi, another consistent performer. The official line is Zabarnyi is not for sale but it will be tough to keep him if PSG stump up. Regardless, Bournemouth will generate significant funds to strengthen and view a new goalkeeper as perhaps the most important piece of the puzzle. Kepa Arrizabalaga, who spent last season on loan from Chelsea and remains the world's most expensive goalkeeper, has a modest £5m release clause in his contract but Bournemouth are exploring all options in their search for a permanent No 1. 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BBC News
26 minutes ago
- BBC News
Padel: 'I want to play the sport but I can't afford it'
A shorter racket, a smaller court and an undearm tennis is one of the fastest-growing sports in the world, thanks to its basic skill level and social rise of the racquet sport - usually played in doubles on an enclosed court where balls can be played off the walls - has been helped by influencers and celebrity players such as demand grows, the number of venues isn't keeping up, but the cost of playing is. Research by Ray Algar, an expert on the economics of sport and exercise, shows that the average off-peak court hire in the UK is about £30, but peak time prices can reach £80 at some venues. 'I sometimes take a month off' Rosie Hepworth got into padel about a year ago after seeing the sport on social media, but has found it's become too expensive. "I can't afford to play regularly," she tells BBC Newsbeat. "It definitely slows down how much I can improve."The trainee accountant only gets on the courts every few weeks and says her budget means she spends an average of £30 a month on padel, but has spent up to £70 before."If I have other financial commitments, then I might take a month off," she Rosie's friends could no longer afford the high cost, she started playing in a league with strangers as a third or fourth says these open matches work out cheaper, and increase the number of available games."In central London, it's hard to find a court that is free," she says. "They are so booked up that you have to book at least a week in advance."According to the Lawn Tennis Association (LTA), there are currently around 800 padel courts in Britain, but over 400,000 cycles up to 50 minutes away from her home to courts that are almost half the price and quieter at peak times. "I find it frustrating to have to travel so far for affordable courts," the 24-year-old says. "But it's just about worth it because it's become a hobby I really enjoy." Master's student Barnaby Stephenson took up the sport about two years ago and helped the University of Edinburgh's first padel 24-year-old says the city has fewer courts than others and getting to and from practices means a two-hour round-trip, which he describes as a "struggle".Barnaby's club had provided free balls and rackets to new members and charged just £2 per session, but the society had to stop offering social memberships due to "unprecedented demand".Barnaby wants to see more grassroots investment in state schools and public parks to make the sport more accessible."There needs to be more pressure and focus on developing padel in every community, rather than concentrating on middle-class areas," he says. Where are the courts? The BBC asked all of the local councils in the UK if they had put money into providing padel the 330 that responded, only three said that they the LTA has spent more than £6m on the sport, this only accounts for 10% of all padel courts of the rest are independently owned, driving up booking costs and increasing the number of private members' also tracked where courts were located across Britain using data from The Padel Directory, and found that most were in the wealthiest areas, with the highest numbers in the south of other countries it's a very different picture. "We're one of the last nations in Europe to catch this padel wave," says Tom Murray, the LTA's head of the organisation that looks after padel in the UK, the LTA has launched a new five-year strategy that aims to work with local authorities to build more hopes to increase accessibility as other countries have done."In Spain it started as that premium elitist sport, but now it's far from it - it's second to football in terms of participation."Madrid will host this year's Euro Padel Cup in July - with a record 40 nations taking an event Team GB players Catherine Rose and Nikhil Mohindra are training for. British number two Catherine began playing three years ago and recalls "driving around the country" to find was a different story for Nikhil, who says he was lucky enough to have a friend nearby he could practise with."I don't know how I would've played otherwise," the 22-year-old want to boost participation. Catherine says there are fewer female players in the UK, and Nikhil thinks efforts could be made to improve says he's seen how diverse the sport can be during his visits to India as a padel ambassador. "When I go there, I see courts being used 24 hours a day by everyone," he says."Anyone from any background can play - it's about opening up more courts in ethnic minority areas." Tanaya Lai, who began playing tennis at four years old, says she's used to being "surrounded by white people".It's something she's noticed since joining the University of Plymouth's padel team, but doesn't see it as a barrier."I am happy to be an Asian woman in sport," she says."Asian women need to know that they aren't excluded from these spaces and they can join if they want to."However, the 22-year-old does think that there are other obstacles. "It's viewed as a posh, more upper-class sport because of how expensive courts are," she says. "There need to be more public and cheaper courts."Like Rosie and Barnaby, Tanaya cannot afford to play padel as regularly as she would like and feels it has hindered her progress."I only really play league matches because it is expensive to just book a court and play for an hour or two," she explains. "Otherwise I'd be able to play more." Additional reporting by Lauren Woodhead Listen to Newsbeat live at 12:45 and 17:45 weekdays - or listen back here.
The Independent
26 minutes ago
- The Independent
Emma Raducanu reveals impact of stalker ordeal: ‘I'm wary when I go out'
British number two Emma Raducanu admitted she was 'wary' when going out following her ordeal with a stalker at the Dubai Championships earlier this year. The 22-year-old hid behind the umpire's chair in tears after receiving repeated unwanted attention from a 'fixated' man before and during a second-round match against Karolina Muchova in February. At the time, Raducanu said she 'couldn't see the ball through tears' and could 'barely breathe', while she revealed now that the situation was exacerbated by her being unsettled without a full-time coach. While Raducanu still minds her surroundings, the 2021 US Open champion wants to move on as she approaches the grass-court season with coaches Mark Petchey and Nick Cavaday in tow. 'It was difficult,' she told BBC Sport. 'It was emphasised by the fact I didn't necessarily feel certain or comfortable in my own set-up and team so it just added to the anxious feeling. 'I'm obviously wary when I go out. I try not to be careless about it because you only realise how much of a problem it is when you're in that situation and I don't necessarily want to be in that situation again. 'Off the court right now, I feel good, I feel pretty settled. I feel like I have good people around me and anything that was negative, I kind of brush it off as much as I can.' Raducanu, who suffered a second-round exit to Iga Swiatek at the French Open, is managing a back issue in the build-up to Wimbledon, having been hindered by persistent spasm issues for much of 2025. She will feature in the inaugural women's Queen's Club Championships this week, where she will take on Spanish qualifier Cristina Bucsa in the first round.
