Rugby league Immortal Andrew Johns’ partner Kate Kendall reveals how she turned to drugs to fight long-term eating disorder – and become a better role model for her daughter

The long-time partner of rugby league legend Andrew Johns has revealed how she turned to drugs to overcome a debilitating eating disorder and become a better parent.

Kate Kendall said she struggled with bulimia for nearly three decades, but finally overcame the disorder during the COVID-19 lockdown when a doctor prescribed her medical cannabis.

“It made the whole experience softer,” she told The Weekend Australian Magazine.

I had tried to treat [the ­disorder] ‘I’ve tried it before, with a lot of talk therapy, but I never got any further.’

The Sydney yoga instructor, who has been with Johns since 2016, said she was determined to finally overcome the devastating disease so she could be a better role model for the couple’s six-year-old daughter Alice.

“It became really painful for me because she was a few years old by then and I started to really worry about what I was showing her as a parent.”

The 43-year-old woman said she had been taking the drug for six months as part of a holistic 12-step program guided by an eating disorder coach and dietitian.

The regimen involved taking drops of cannabis oil orally every night before dinner to overcome the anxiety she experienced while eating.

The 43-year-old said she took the drug for six months as part of a holistic 12-step program overseen by an eating disorder coach and dietitian

“I would take it an hour before eating, just sit there and let it wash over me. Then I would relax – the cannabis eased the anxiety and the overall experience,” she told the magazine.

‘I had trouble sitting with that full feeling, which made me tend to impose a lot of restrictions.

‘I had a session with a doctor who prescribed marijuana because I had heard it could help relieve tension.

“It relaxed my ‘controlling’ behavior and my body felt more at ease and welcomed food more. I was better able to say ‘yes’ to the meal, instead of panicking, restricting or rejecting the food.”

Since medicinal cannabis was first legalised in Australia in 2016, more than a million prescriptions have been written. And Kendall hasn’t ruled out writing another prescription in the future if circumstances warrant.

“I now have a relaxed experience with food and I don’t feel like I have to take advantage of it anymore,” Kendall said.

“But maybe that will change, maybe I’ll call on that ally again someday. It’s definitely helped me get through a really tough time.”

The Sydney yoga instructor, who has been with Johns since 2016, said she was determined to finally overcome the devastating disease so she could be a better role model for the couple’s six-year-old daughter Alice.

Her partner Johns, a former NRL legend for Newcastle, NSW and Australia, is also an outspoken advocate of the drug, saying it has helped him cope with the ongoing physical ravages he endured after more than 300 games in the top flight.

Her partner Johns, a former NRL legend for Newcastle, NSW and Australia, is also a vocal advocate of the drug, saying it has helped him deal with the ongoing physical ravages he has suffered after playing more than 300 games at the highest level.

It also helped him control the seizures he had been experiencing since being diagnosed with frontal epilepsy in 2016.

“I’ve talked about it openly myself because it’s completely changed my life. I started doing it four or five years ago because I was having seizures, which may have been caused by the concussions,” John told Wide World of Sports’ Immortal Behaviour.

‘Since I started using it, I no longer suffer from attacks. I still take the usual medication, but I am now clearer than ever.’

‘As for my body, I don’t take any anti-inflammatories anymore, and I don’t take any painkillers either. Given my personality, I really shouldn’t have any of those in the house.

“For me it’s been a game changer. I surf sometimes three, four hours a day. I wake up and there’s no inflammation. All the inflammation is gone.”

‘It’s clear that after coming home from football, I would be completely overstimulated. I used to have sleeping pills to fall asleep, but I haven’t had a sleeping pill in those 18 months.

‘I read a lot, but sometimes my mind wanders. Now I can concentrate better. And my partner Kate says I’m calmer.’

Johns also said his partner introduced him to yoga, a discipline he says has kept him focused and improved his mental health.

“I always thought yoga was for girls, but now I wish I had done more of it when I was playing. Physically it’s great for my body, especially with all the injuries I’ve had, but mentally it’s even better — it really clears my head,” he said.

“It also keeps me in check. If I know I’m going to do yoga in the morning, I behave the night before — within limits.”