For athletes, the hardest battles are not always fought in front of a crowd. Sometimes they take place during recovery from injury, in the solitude of an individual training session or in moments of doubt when the desire to continue is tested. For Rwandan handball star Yves Kayijamahe, one such moment came in 2019 when he suffered a serious chest injury while playing against Uganda during the FEASSA Games in Tanzania. “I broke my chest in the match against Uganda,” he recalls. The injury forced him away from the game, but physical recovery was only part of the challenge. ALSO READ: Resilience on the field: How survivors rewrote their stories in sports Like many athletes dealing with setbacks, Kayijamahe began questioning whether he could return and perform at the level he had reached before the injury. According to the International Olympic Committee (IOC), mental-health challenges are common among elite athletes and can affect performance, increase injury risk and delay recovery. Athletes can experience anxiety, depression, burnout and other challenges that affect both their sporting careers and lives away from competition. Athletes are often expected to be strong, both physically and mentally. But injuries, pressure, disappointment, self-doubt and burnout can test even the most determined competitors. Kayijamahe found a way forward. After the injury, he was taken to hospital and eventually recovered. But the experience left him questioning whether he could continue playing. “Injury can make you think you can no longer play or perform at the level you had,” he says. Even simple movements could trigger fear. “Any movement you made with your arm that hurt you, you could think the pain will come back,” he adds. At one point, he considered walking away from the sport. For his family, watching him go through the experience was difficult. His older brother, Gratuis Rugumyamuheto, says they were worried but deliberately chose not to show it. “It was hard for us to see him experience it,” Rugumyamuheto says. “But we didn’t show him that we were worried because we wanted him to be strong and overcome it.” Their support helped Kayijamahe return to the court, where he later helped Police HC win a trophy. Although he had considered quitting, he eventually decided to continue after returning for further medical checks. His family also reminded him that he had yet to achieve the dreams that had inspired him to take up sport. “It really made me feel like I needed to put more effort into what I was doing and make my mom proud,” he says. Training became an important part of his recovery and mental wellbeing. “Sometimes it doesn't make problems go away completely because we're here in a stressful world,” Kayijamahe says. “But at least when I'm busy with practice, it keeps me away from thinking about other problems.” For Kayijamahe, consistency has become more than a sporting principle. It is a way of dealing with difficult moments. Even during the off-season, the Police Handball Club player continues to train on his own to maintain the fitness he has worked hard to build. “Every athlete has to practice a lot, even if they are talented, to prepare themselves mentally,” he says. The experience also taught him discipline, consistency, teamwork and the importance of doing what is required at the right time. But Kayijamahe believes his journey is far from over. “I still have a lot to do because I haven't reached where I want to be,” he says. Overcoming mental struggles For APR Handball Club player Elysee Muhumure, some of the toughest challenges in his sporting journey have also been mental. He says pressure and self-doubt became particularly difficult during periods when things were not going as planned. At times, he felt exhausted and questioned whether he should continue. “Physically, training can be demanding, but I've learned that the mental side can sometimes be even harder,” Muhumure says. What kept him going was remembering why he started and taking difficult periods one day at a time. Training became a way for him to manage pressure, clear his mind and release frustration. “Motivation comes and goes, but discipline helps you continue even on days when you don't feel motivated,” he says. Through consistency, Muhumure says he gradually became more confident and learned to confront challenges rather than run away from them. When body and mind are tested Sports health and mental health expert Winnie Muyumbukazi says Kayijamahe’s experience illustrates why physical and mental recovery should not be treated separately. Athletes returning from injury may be physically ready to compete but still struggle with fear, hesitation or a lack of confidence in the injured part of their body. “An athlete may be medically cleared to return but still feel afraid, hesitant or lack confidence in the injured part of the body,” Muyumbukazi says. She also warns athletes against assuming that constantly pushing through pain is always a sign of strength. “Athletes are often taught to be tough, to push through discomfort and never give up,” she says. “While resilience is important, there is also a danger when an athlete ignores the body's warning signs.” Insufficient recovery can lead to exhaustion, burnout and a greater risk of injury, while concentration, motivation and emotional wellbeing can also suffer. For Kayijamahe and Muhumure, learning to keep going did not mean pretending the struggle did not exist. It meant finding a way through it. Their families stood behind them, their coaches helped shape them, and training gave them structure. Slowly, they found their way back to the court. And today, they continue to chase the dreams that first drew them to handball.
