Finding the Balance Throughout Lifes Changes

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January 2020 Issue
Finding the Balance Throughout Lifes…

January 2020 Issue

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Many of you will recognise Scott and Jenny Hastings. The couple met at school and are happily enjoying married life in Edinburgh. They have two children, Corey and Kerry-Anne, as well as Parker, their beloved furry family member!

Rugby Life and Family Life

Scott and his older brother Gavin are household names in the Scottish rugby world having both played for their country and also the British and Irish Lions. The brothers both earned their first cap on the 17th January in 1986 against France. What many people forget about rugby in the 80’s and early 90’s was that it was an amateur sport and, as an amateur player, Scott was not paid for playing until the very last year of his career. Scott says, “International rugby wasn’t my career, it was just a social sport at the time.” During his playing career Scott won 65 caps at centre for Scotland from 1986 to 1997. When he retired at age 36, he was Scotland’s most-capped player ever.

He juggled family, work and rugby life for all the years he played. He would train at night after his full-time job and unfortunately didn’t get to see a lot of his wife and children. Scott says, “Rugby was number one priority”. The couple agreed, “It put a strain on our lives at times, but it also enhanced our lives. We travelled the world and met lovely, lifelong friends.” We asked the couple how life changed when Scott retired from rugby. Jenny says, “Maybe life became a bit more serious!”

Scott is still involved within the rugby world with his media commitments. He says, “It’s meant that I could still be part of the game as a broadcaster and commentator which is fantastic.” Scott spent seven weeks in Japan in 2019 during the Rugby World Cup working with ITV. He says, “The flexibility of being self-employed allows me to do things that I really enjoy.” He also chairs the Doddie Weir Foundation and is a MND Scotland Ambassador.

Rugby Life and Family Life

Scott and his older brother Gavin are household names in the Scottish rugby world having both played for their country and also the British and Irish Lions. The brothers both earned their first cap on the 17th January in 1986 against France. What many people forget about rugby in the 80’s and early 90’s was that it was an amateur sport and, as an amateur player, Scott was not paid for playing until the very last year of his career. Scott says, “International rugby wasn’t my career, it was just a social sport at the time.” During his playing career Scott won 65 caps at centre for Scotland from 1986 to 1997. When he retired at age 36, he was Scotland’s most-capped player ever.

He juggled family, work and rugby life for all the years he played. He would train at night after his full-time job and unfortunately didn’t get to see a lot of his wife and children. Scott says, “Rugby was number one priority”. The couple agreed, “It put a strain on our lives at times, but it also enhanced our lives. We travelled the world and met lovely, lifelong friends.” We asked the couple how life changed when Scott retired from rugby. Jenny says, “Maybe life became a bit more serious!”

Scott is still involved within the rugby world with his media commitments. He says, “It’s meant that I could still be part of the game as a broadcaster and commentator which is fantastic.” Scott spent seven weeks in Japan in 2019 during the Rugby World Cup working with ITV. He says, “The flexibility of being self-employed allows me to do things that I really enjoy.” He also chairs the Doddie Weir Foundation and is a MND Scotland Ambassador.

Charity Ambassadors

The pair have been working to start the dialogue behind mental health for years, as Jenny has suffered with poor mental health throughout their life together. Scott explains that in the early days it was something that he felt embarrassed about, as it was something that just wasn’t spoken about. He now does everything he can to start the dialogue and supports mental health charities. He says, “Exercise stimulates good mental and physical health.”

The couple became ambassadors for the charity Support in Mind four years ago. Scott explained, “The charity approached us to get involved on the back of Jenny’s public declaration that she struggled at times with her mental health. Now, while supporting the charity, she gets to talk about it far more, that’s part of the healing process. The dialogue allows you to open up.”

After opening her heart and story out to the public, Jenny has taken part in several other campaigns. One of these was the #ThisIsMe campaign. The ‘This is Me’ campaign aims to support organisations, and their employees, to talk about mental health. It encourages people with experience of a mental health problem, whether their own or that of a loved one, to share their stories.

Jenny also supports others who are doing their part to raise awareness for mental health. We joined her at an event at Murrayfield hosted by Fergus Crawley last November. Fergus hosted the Mega Movember event after running a 94-mile run for the 94 male suicides every week in the UK. Fergus ran in after running from Loch Lomond to Murrayfield and the room was filled with emotion. Scott compered the event and Jenny shared her story with the crowd. It was clear to see their passion in everything that they are doing to promote that physical health goes hand in hand with mental health.

100 Streets Challenge

Scott, alongside Colin Leslie from Support in Mind Scotland, came up with the concept of 100 Streets. You choose your route any time between 1 April and 10 October (World Mental Health Day) and walk, run or cycle your way around 100 streets in your community to raise mental health awareness. You can do the 100 Streets Challenge solo, with a friend, or as part of a group. Registration is now open for 2020! The challenge is absolutely free, but the charity does appreciate any fundraising or donations.

Scott and Jenny Hastings are a great example of real people, with real stories who are contributing positively in their community, every day. A couple who have found their balance for living a full life, despite the challenges.

Category: January 2020 IssueBy Kirsty Simpson February 3, 2020

Author: Kirsty Simpson