Matildas star Kyah Simon opens up about her 483 days of hell: ‘I lost count of how many times I was broken mentally, physically and emotionally’
- Kyah Simon has returned to football after a long series of setbacks
- Retold her journey for more than 87,000 Instagram followers
- Striker was a late substitute for Mariners against Newcastle Jets
Matildas star Kyah Simon has described her ‘483 days of hell’ after making a triumphant return from injury for the Central Coast Mariners last weekend.
Simon, 32, took to Instagram to share her journey, which started after she tore the cruciate ligament in her knee in October 2022 while playing for Tottenham in the Women’s Super League.
The experienced striker was part of the Matildas squad for the Women’s World Cup last year, but a calf complaint in camp left her a frustrated spectator as Australia reached the semi-finals.
Privately, Simon feared she might never play again as she suffered repeated setbacks, but last Sunday she was a late substitute in the Mariners’ 2-0 win over Newcastle Jets in the A-League Women’s competition.
Her cameo ended 483 days of frustration, which saw Simon see her resolve tested after tearing her anterior cruciate ligament, medial collateral ligament and meniscus.
Matildas star Kyah Simon has described her ‘483 days of hell’ after making a triumphant return from injury for the Central Coast Mariners last weekend (pictured)
Simon, 32, took to Instagram to share her testing journey, which began after she tore her ACL while playing for Tottenham in the Women’s Super League in October 2022
The Matildas veteran thanked the Mariners, her family and partner Faye Bryson (right), who is also on the Central Coast’s books
‘To be completely honest, I doubted I would ever get here. I have lost count of the times this rehab has broken me mentally, physically and emotionally,” Simon posted on Instagram.
‘Chronic pain in my knee, hardly sleeping for the first three months due to the discomfort, countless appointments with specialists… scans, injections and then the tearing of my calf near the start of the World Cup.
“It was hard to comprehend, I was doing the right things to get myself back on the park, but it seemed like setback after setback came.”
Simon then paid tribute to the Mariners for their patience, as well as the club’s physiotherapy team, who ‘worked tirelessly’ to ensure her eventual return to the pitch.
Simon made her Matildas debut in 2011 and was a huge presence in the team, earning over 100 caps for Australia
She also thanked her family and partner Faye Bryson, who is also on the Central Coast’s books after joining from Reading.
Simon has a football CV that many players would envy – apart from spells in the A-League with the Central Coast, Western Sydney Wanderers, Melbourne City and Sydney FC, she previously stood out in the US with the likes of Boston Breakers and Houston Dash, as well as PSV in the Netherlands.
She signed for the Mariners this year coming full circle, having made her debut for the club as a raw teenager in 2008.
Football fans will next get the chance to see Simon in action when Central Coast takes on high-flying Western United at North Hobart Oval in Tasmania on February 3.