Sport gave me back my mental health

'Sport gave me back my mental health'

Sports coach and mentor Patience Ramavhale battled mental illness from a young age, abused by a parent. Her first suicide attempt was when she was in Grade 2.

Battling depression and anxiety
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It was her love for sport and passion for coaching that saw her triumph over the trauma and devote her life to helping other young athletes.

“I grew up in a very toxic environment. From a very tender age, I was neglected, I was abused, I was rejected… I got introduced to sports, it was netball. We didn’t have proper courts, but I felt this was a place where I felt safe; this is a place where I’m able to be who I am without being judged,” Ramavhale tells Don’t Hold Back podcast host Nozibele Qamngana-Mayaba, in a very candid interview.

“No-one talks about it, no one educates you about it (depression)... I had to fake this bubbly personality. I had to fake this smile, ” she says.

If you, or anyone you love, is battling anxiety and depression, then this episode of Don't Hold Back is a must-listen.

Click below to listen now or download it for later.


Meanwhile, what's your relationship with alcohol? What is a high functioning alcoholic and how do you know when drinking has become a problem rather than just a 'good time'?

In a frank and honest discussion, Don't hold back podcast host Nozibele Qamngana-Mayaba chats to Clive Vanderwagen - a motivational speaker, TEDx speaker and a mindset coach - on everything from binge drinking to mindfulness to hangover cures.

"Can you quit drinking for day in a week, a week in a month and a month in a year? If that creates a sense of dread or worry about, ‘can I do that?’ - then you potentially have an unhealthy relationship with alcohol," says Vanderwagen in a previous episode of our new JacPod podcast.

The two talk about how developing a healthy relationship with alcohol helped Vanderwagen to optimise his life. Listen below.

Prefer the video version? Watch it below.

‘Don’t hold back – say it loud’  is a co-production between Jacaranda FM, sister station East Coast Radio and German broadcaster Deutsche Welle (DW). From battling debt and suffering gender-based violence, to toxic relationships and fighting depression, this podcast covers real-world topics that matter to Mzansi’s youth.

In the series, Nozibele Qamngana-Mayaba talks to notable South African thought-leaders, activists, and influencers on controversial topics that have a personal connection to each guest, either through their profession or their experience.

Don’t hold back – say it loud’ is both an audio and video production.

ABOUT NOZIBELE QAMNGANA-MAYABA: South African presenter Nozibele Qamngana-Mayaba is famous for her HIV/Aids activism and YouTube channel. After her own diagnosis with HIV in 2013, Nozibele made it her mission to hold open conversations about her journey living with HIV.

Now a published author and respected authority on the subject, the 31-year-old’s work was named as one of the web’s Top 15 HIV YouTube channels.

With her direct, engaging, and empathetic hosting style, she is the perfect fit to address taboo topics - and to say: Don't hold back!

Don't hold back: say it loud podcast artwork

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