The captain of St Johnstone Women FC has revealed her battle with a chronic illness – and her desire to return to the pitch in the new year.
Hannah Clark, 22, was diagnosed with ulcerative colitis in 2019.
She has never let it get in the way of her football career but has recently had to take time out of the game to recover from a flare-up.
Ulcerative colitis causes the colon and rectum to become inflamed.
Ulcers can develop on the colon lining and can result in bleeding.
Hannah, from Leslie in Fife, has been playing competitive football since she was 14 – the same age she started showing symptoms.
‘You feel like you’re going insane’
She said: “I went to the toilet and noticed blood, which was alarming.
“I was back and forth to the doctors for about four years.
“I was originally diagnosed with IBS (irritable bowel syndrome) but no medication worked.
“I got an appointment in February 2019 and was finally diagnosed with ulcerative colitis.
“It was a weight off my shoulders to get diagnosed.
“You feel like you’re going insane and I was getting worse because I wasn’t being treated for the right condition.
“It’s a relief to get on the right path.
“I started receiving treatment and from 2019 up until now I have had very few flare-ups – but this most recent one has been the worst yet.”
St Johnstone captain Hannah Clark on ‘unpredictable’ condition
Hannah says she has good and bad days, describing the illness as “unpredictable”.
But she is due to get a new treatment of Infliximab every couple of weeks.
The drug – which Hannah will be able to inject at home – will aim to shut the immune system down to stop it from attacking itself.
She said: “The thing with this condition is I could feel good today but terrible tomorrow.
“I get tired a lot quicker. I find the mental side the most difficult.
“There is so much anxiety and worrying about getting to a toilet.
“It’s a limiting disease when it’s active. It puts you off going outside.
“When I play football though, I just focus on that and I’m lucky that I do something I enjoy.
“I’ve got teammates and management that are so good to me and try to learn about the condition.
“There’s no pressure to be there if I’m not feeling well. The people around me make it that little bit easier.
“Even if me speaking up about the condition helps one person then it’s a good thing.”
Hannah says captaining St Johnstone Women FC is a “privilege”.
She said: “I made my debut for Jeanfield Swifts Ladies at the age of 14. I even scored a goal in my first match.
“I trained with them and then stepped up to St Johnstone Women Football Club. Two seasons ago I got made captain.
‘Privilege’ of captaining St Johnstone Women
“I’ve always loved playing football. Being a young player and then breaking through to become captain is such an honour.
“It’s something I enjoy and it’s a privilege to play.”
Hannah went to watch her teammates in December ahead of a potential return in early 2024.
She added: “You can feel quite lonely with this illness. I’m really close to my family and friends and my support network really helps me.
“I just want to be healthy again and be back to living my life and playing football – but I know this is one thing I can’t rush.
“The aim is that I’ll get back to training in the new year. It’s really difficult not playing and football is the priority for me.”
Conversation