Get up, dress up, show up and never give up
|“This week has been my first taste of what being appreciated is really like and I want to feel like this for ever.” Image: Dan Higginson
It had been another long, hot, sweaty day on the pitches at Sacramento State University but the beaming smile from Denmark’s Amalie Muller Blinkilde hadn’t faltered once. Fresh from another committed performance in the red jersey, she was positively glowing, just delighted to be there and continuing her journey to overcome her demons. So back to the start of that journey…
“Ombold - our Danish street soccer association - came to an activity group I was involved with and said if anyone wanted to play that day, they were running a practice session.
“I thought, ‘why not try?’ I’ve played soccer since I was seven but had to stop a few years ago because of a knee injury. Street soccer is not so tough on my knee, though, as it’s shorter games, a smaller pitch and frequent substitutions.”
That afternoon Amalie duly pitched in and…eighteen months later found herself on a soccer pitch in California, representing her country!
Though her demeanour belies her demons, Amalie’s involvement with that activity group was the culmination of a life beset by mental health challenges.
“I’ve struggled a lot with depression and anxiety,” she explained. “I wasn’t aware I had that, but it’s been there all my life. I’ve been to therapists, talked to lots of people about it and discovered it’s all linked to things that happened in my childhood which just built up and closed in on me until I broke down.”
Things came to a head when the pandemic hit and, “I couldn’t be alone, I needed a lot of help just to get out of bed each day. It was a very bad experience mentally for me.”
With help from her boyfriend, Kristian, she conquered those fears and began working in the administration area for Ombold, as well as playing, in 2022. “We were lucky in Denmark that the lockdown was very short, and things quickly opened up again.”
Lots of practice – and living by her motto of ‘No matter how you feel, get up, dress up, show up and never give up’ - reaped rewards, and she was selected for her national street soccer side for Sacramento 2023.
“When I go on to the pitch it makes me feel so good,” she enthused, eyes sparkling. “It’s a big honour to be here and to represent Denmark in such an important tournament. Wearing the jersey and hearing the anthem is incredible, almost impossible to describe. It’s something I’ve only seen on television - like watching the Danish national soccer team - and now it’s us on the pitch singing the national anthem. It’s a great feeling.”
The camaraderie between countries was also a big plus for Amalie.
“I’ve met a lot of the other players. We’re always asking each other ‘How did your match go? How are you doing?’ And if someone is injured, we ask how they are feeling. It’s a very rich social aspect here.
“I really think this experience has changed me because I’ve met a lot of people who also have issues - many have experienced homelessness, many other women who have suffered with mental health challenges, so it gives life a different perspective.”
And that change will continue long after Sacramento, she impresses.
“I will keep playing soccer. I really hope, when I get home again, to be able to get a job because I think the only way for me to really get better is to get a job and be appreciated.
“This week has been my first taste of what being appreciated is really like and I want to feel like this for ever.”
|Amalie and fellow Team Pirouette players - competing in memory of a team mate who died. Image: Amalie Muller Blinkilde
Right now, we’re at for ever minus one year. September 2024, just over twelve months on from the spectacle at Sacramento State. The smile is still there as we embrace a welcome opportunity to catch up with Amalie and find out how the tournament affected her life after her return home.
|Amalie and Kristian Image: Amalie Muller Blinkilde
“It really changed my way of looking at people,” she says with a considered nod. “When I see a person who is struggling with drugs or their mental health, I now more see the whole person and understand a bit better that everyone has their own issues.
“I'm still playing a bit, though not as much because I started studying in September last year,” Amalie enthuses. “I'm hoping to attain a Bachelor in Social Education degree in three years so I can help kids in kindergarten. In the future I hope to work with children who struggle with things like diabetes or anxiety because I feel like I can help.
On the romantic front, she is still with boyfriend Kristian, who has supported her so much over the years. “Soon we will have been together for seven years which I think is crazy to say because I'm only 23 years old,” she laughs.
“He also noticed a change in me after the tournament,” she adds. “He says I became a lot more confident as I learned to be away from home – this was something I really struggled with before. I almost couldn't be apart from him for one day then I had to be away from him for ten days at Homeless World Cup.
“He also thinks it gave me a boost to continue my education and spend some more time with friends, both with and without him. He encourages me in a good way to be stronger now.”
While her studies now leave less time for football, Amalie has remained in contact with her national team-mates.
"We see each other at local tournaments and write from time to time,” she explains. “The girls from the team still mean so much to me. I wouldn't have had the same experience, even the ups and downs, with anyone other than them.”
Players can only compete once for their country at the tournament, so the Danish baton has now been safely passed to a new generation of street soccer participants. What advice would Amalie give to those following in her footsteps to Seoul this September?
Without hesitation, and smiling from ear to ear, she says, “Enjoy it from the second you set off, even in the airplane if you have a long flight, because it's an amazing experience which is over in the blink of an eye.
“Remember to enjoy every match, no matter if you win or lose, because you are getting the opportunity to represent your country and that's something very few people get to experience.”
Words of wisdom which are very much appreciated from one who has, as per her mantra, got up, dressed up, showed up and never, ever given up.
Amalie Muller Blinkilde represented Denmark at the Sacramento 2023 Homeless World Cup who are represented by Ombold. Find out more about the organisation which represents Denmark on our country page.
Words: Isobel Irvine
Photos: Dan Higginson & Amalie Muller Blinkilde