Having graduated this summer, I can safely say my time at university wasn’t straightforward…
Beginning my professional career while I was still studying, I was constantly moving between airports and cricket grounds, a long way from the Loughborough campus. I wasn’t to know that, when the opportunity came to spend more time at university in my third year, it was going to put me through the most challenging nine months of my life.
I thought it was just a six-week knock when I had to pull out of The Hundred in 2025. I was gutted, but it was clear I had to do it. As my body failed to heal as expected though, I gradually realised I was going to be out of the game for far longer than first thought.
The hardest thing mentally was watching recovery timescales constantly get pushed back when things weren’t progressing how anyone first thought.
Right from the start though, aiming to be selected for the Ireland series at the end of the season gave me a bit of hope. I’m someone who really thrives when working towards a target, so having that goal meant I had something positive to fight for every single week, while still taking things step-by-step.
That focus helped because rehab itself was completely new to me. Having never had a major injury before, going from constantly striving for improvement on the pitch to doing long gym sessions away from the team environment without seeing many results was a harsh adjustment. I had injured my spine, so I had to stick to very basic, minimalist exercises. Struggling to do basic bodyweight movements when you’re used to training hard was tough to cope with.
”After four years, I finally got to experience proper student life."
Ryana MacDonald-GaySurrey & England
However, staying up in Loughborough for that rehab did bring a silver lining.
Studying for a degree in Sports Psychology at Loughborough University over the past three years, I’d already split my final year in half to make balancing a degree alongside cricket more manageable. Being off the pitch with my injury meant I could actually commit to uni and spend some time with my housemates. After four years, I finally got to experience proper student life.
Before the injury forced me to slow down, balancing cricket and university was pretty frantic. In my first year, I was juggling studies alongside the Under-19 World Cup and also playing Premier League hockey. By my second and third years, I was hardly on campus at all. I was constantly travelling between airports, Surrey and Loughborough while doing most of my degree online.
Academic workloads were hard to manage but the support from the PCA was amazing.
They worked continuously with the university and made my experience as smooth as it could be when I was travelling back and forth. I was able to graduate in-person on a non-game day, which was a really special moment, especially being alongside my family, housemates and Surrey teammate Bethan Miles.
Now that I’ve graduated, my academic career isn’t front and centre of my mind, but I can already see it being really valuable in the future. It already helps me in my cricket career and I’m so glad to have done it despite it being so difficult to manage in the first two years.
When I first returned to competitive action for the Vitality Blast, I felt undercooked.
With significant workload restrictions and very little game time or warm-up prep, I couldn’t train in high volumes, which definitely introduced some self-doubt. I am absolutely a confidence player, but my confidence felt like a seven out of 10 rather than a nine.
Coping with the nerves was really challenging. I found that focusing on just nailing my best ball cleared my mind. It was the only bowling work I had done all the way through my 12-week build up, so I knew I could rely on it. Soon I was back in and loving it again, which was an amazing feeling after so long out of the game.
Reaching the semi-finals with Surrey and simply enjoying playing cricket again was brilliant and going up to Manchester for The Hundred was a lovely change of scenery after four years in London.
”Getting back on the field for England and being welcomed back into the changing room environment by all the girls was incredible.”
Ryana MacDonald-GaySurrey & England
After such a long journey from when I first got injured in 2025, it was an incredible moment when I got that phone call from Lottie (Charlotte Edwards) confirming I was in the ODI squad for Ireland.
Getting back on the field for England and being welcomed back into the changing room environment by all the girls was incredible.
Of course, I am looking at the busy international calendar over the next 12 months, but my plan is always to keep things simple. If I can stay fit, keep enjoying the game and keep my focus simply on bowling the next ball, I know I’ll be in a good place when selection comes around.
