My Story
Hi, my name is Tom, I’m 24, and like many others my age, sport has shaped much of my life. From playing for my local rugby club, representing Worcester Warriors U18 academy, to being named co-captain of the University of Bath 1XV in BUCS Super Rugby, rugby was not just something I did — it became a central part of my identity.
It shaped my routine, my friendships, my confidence, and my entire sense of direction. It wasn’t just sport, it was a cornerstone of who I was.
After university, I signed to play rugby in Australia. It felt like the next step. A fresh challenge. A new chapter. Three weeks after arriving, I suffered a Lisfranc injury in my foot. Surgery followed, and just like that, everything stopped.
As I sat in my childhood bedroom with my foot in the air looking black and blue I realised something - social media always talks about the start and end of an injury journey but it almost never talks about the huge section in the middle where recovery actually occurs.
By focusing only on the injury and the comeback, social media often overlooks the messy middle of recovery - the part where athletes can feel isolated, confused, guilty, scared, overwhelmed and uncertain about what the future holds.
ReBuild exists to change this
ReBuild provides a platform to have real and honest conversations about that ‘messy middle’, to give athletes a voice to share their personal experiences with injuries, and ultimately to help those going through recovery feel less alone.
