Chapter Title: The Cost of Commitment

Chapter Title: The Cost of Commitment

By 2015, something had shifted in Josephine. Her energy dipped more often, and though she still smiled, there was a heaviness behind it. Around that time, during a routine visit to her family GP, she mentioned that her monthly period hadn’t come in a while. It wasn’t framed as a complaint — just something she thought the doctor should know.

He looked at her closely, noticing her weight loss. “You’re looking a bit thinner than usual,” he said with concern. He ordered a round of blood tests on the spot.

I was never told the results. But the very fact that he acted so quickly said enough. This wasn’t just about missing a cycle — it was about a body that was quietly running on empty.

Not long after, over a quiet cup of tea at my place, Josephine let her guard down.

“I didn’t eat lunch again today,” she said, almost casually. “Club’s collecting money again for the trip next month… I’ll catch up later.”

I asked her if she was okay. She smiled — not with joy, but with the practiced smile of someone who didn’t want to worry anyone. “I’m fine,” she said. “They’re always saying we have to stay in shape anyway. It’s good for me, right?”

That moment stuck with me. Behind the medals, the training, and the constant fundraising was a young woman who had begun rationing food — not to lose weight, but to keep up with what the club demanded.

The “Keep Fit” programme, launched by the club to encourage healthy habits, had quietly turned into something else. For Josephine, it meant pressure — pressure to look a certain way, to meet fitness targets, to never let the club down. And while the posters promoted health and empowerment, no one from the leadership seemed to notice — or care — when an athlete started missing meals just to stay involved.

The blood tests were never followed up with concern from the club. The doctor did what he could. The club did nothing.

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