Ari Brumwell, a 31-year-old website content editor from Cardiff, joined the female American football team Cardiff Valkyries in 2024 after struggling with anxiety that left them unable to leave the house following the COVID-19 pandemic.
Their anxiety was debilitating, making them feel overwhelmed around large groups of people. After realising how unhealthy their lifestyle had become from staying indoors, Ari joined a gym and started going on outdoor walks, which gradually improved their condition. But it was not until they discovered the Cardiff Valkyries at Pride Cymru that they truly came out of their shell.
Finding the Valkyries at Pride Cymru
Ari said: "I've always had a bit of an issue with anxiety and I found since COVID particularly, I found it really hard going out and socialising. I would just get really overwhelmed to the point where it would almost become a cycle then, where just going and doing normal things, it would become more of a challenge just because of that fear to be around people."
They explained that they realised how unhealthy they had become from staying in the house, and decided to join the gym and go on outdoor walks. It was only when they saw the Cardiff Valkyries at Pride Cymru in 2024 that they felt they had found a purpose for the exercise.
Ari said: "We were watching the parade and one of them pointed and was like, 'Oh, that's the Valkyries.' Before that, I wasn't even aware that women's American football was an option. Like, I wasn't aware of it, certainly on my own doorstep in Cardiff. Seeing the Valkyries for the first time was a bit mind-blowing."
Joining the Team and Overcoming Doubts
After discovering the team, Ari messaged them to ask if they could watch a game, and they messaged back asking if Ari would like to take part in one of their rookie days. Ari said: "At the time, I freaked out. I was like, 'Oh, you know, I've got no coordination, I can't catch or throw. I'm not fast. I can't run.' They messaged back and just sort of said, 'Have a go. There's something for everyone.'"
Ari described the team as lovely and welcoming, with members providing kit and support during the rookie sessions. They said: "I remember it was raining as well, so getting very comfortable very fast with just being in a lot of mud. It was really freeing. Like, I remember on the day, I was like, 'I can't believe I'm doing this.' But it wasn't as bad as I thought it was going to be in that sense."
Mental Health Improvements and Team Community
Ari explained that the team embraces everyone and is very inclusive, with positions for people of different body types. They said: "Being a bigger person, and being strong, there's a position for me because I can block. So it's very inclusive to different people and different body types."
Their mental health has improved significantly since joining, with Ari noting: "It's like it goes quiet while I'm playing because I'm so focused on what I'm doing, I'm not stacking all the anxieties and the worries of everything else in life. So, it's a moment of just like mental quiet."
Funding and Future Hopes
Thanks to National Lottery Good Causes funding, the club now has brand new game-day kit, training equipment, medical supplies and first aid training, making the sport safer and more accessible. Ari stressed their gratitude for the grant, saying: "I wouldn't have been able to afford the pads, and the helmet, and all the stuff that goes with it. But because the team is able to provide that because of funding, now I'm able to play without that worry of, 'Can I afford it?'"
Ari hopes that one day there will be more female American football teams in Wales, as the Cardiff Valkyries are currently the only team in the country, and members travel from far and wide to play, with mini tournaments held across the bridge in England. They said: "It would be lovely if there were more teams. Not everyone will be in a position to travel, so I think it'd be good for other women to be able to try it out."
