Speak to somebody – Chris Kamara urges people to open up about health issues

Broadcaster Chris Kamara hopes football fans getting together for a drink to watch Euro 2024 will use the opportunity to open up and share any health or well-being concerns they may be trying to manage.

Scotland begin the tournament against hosts Germany on June 14, before England play their first group match with Serbia two days later.

Coinciding with the start of the tournament, Men’s Health Week runs from June 10-16, the campaign aiming to raise awareness about the health challenges faced by men, promoting strategies for better physical and mental well-being.

Men of all ages are being encouraged to engage in conversations about important health issues and seek preventive care where needed.

Former midfielder Kamara, 66, played for a host of English clubs, going on to manage Bradford and Stoke before becoming a popular pundit and presenter on Sky Sports as well as working on ITV’s Ninja Warrior show.

There was a huge outpouring of support when Kamara went public about being diagnosed with apraxia of speech, a rare neurological disorder which slows down his speech and thought processes.

Ahead of Euro 2024, the 66-year-old has teamed up with independent brewery Brew York to launch ‘Kammy’s Un-Beer-Lievable’ lager, which will see a donation from every sale made to Prostate Cancer UK.

Kamara is set to host an event on June 18 in Guiseley, West Yorkshire, where fans can watch the Euro 2024 match between Turkey and Georgia, with all proceeds from ticket sales donated to the charity, which he hopes can help encourage plenty of chat – and not just about the football.

“I used to be the worst (at talking about health issues), now I am the total opposite,” Kamara told the PA news agency.

“I am preaching to people, to tell them to go and see their doctor, where three years ago I was a total dinosaur.

“I used to scoff at mental health (issues) – I kept thinking, ‘oh come on, man up. What can be so bad? Don’t worry about it’.

“And then you suffer from it yourself. You have got these little blokes in your head talking to you and telling you that ‘you are no good anymore, you are not right for this world’.

“That is what happens – then all of a sudden you start to believe that little voice in your head.

“Unless you speak to people and get help, then that is the only way out of it – keeping it to yourself is the worst thing ever.”

Kamara, who explored his AOS diagnosis in a documentary for ITV, has travelled to Mexico to take part in some clinical trials to aid his ongoing rehabilitation, with encouraging results.

“If you had asked me 18 months ago, or probably 10 months ago, I would have said, ‘no I am not doing these things any more,’” he said.

“Thankfully, I have had some experimental treatment in Mexico and I have got my fluency back in my voice. The improvement is like I was probably 25 per cent the old me, now I am up to 80 per cent of the old me.

“It is just the pace I am trying to get back in my voice and my thought process, but it seems to be coming.

“Now I don’t have to worry when I am talking to someone that what is on the top of my head gets blocked on the way between my mouth, that flows perfectly now. It is just the pace of it which I haven’t got any more.

“If you meet me for the first time now, you probably think I have always talked like that!”

One in eight men are affected by prostate cancer, the most common cancer in men. Those statistics increase to one in four if you are black.

Kamara is a long-time supporter of Prostate Cancer UK and has taken part in several fundraising events for the charity, including multiple ‘Jeff Stelling’s Football Marches’ alongside his former Sky Sports colleague and close friend.

“For prostate (problems), it has never been easier to check,” Kamara said.

“Any problems with your water works? You are waking up too many times in the middle of the night? Then go see your GP and get that blood test done.

“It is a treatable disease if caught early – and men can also check their risk of the disease on the Prostate Cancer UK risk checker.

“And if it is mental health as well – speak to somebody. There are people willing to listen – your family members, professional people, and they will help.”

:: Chris Kamara is getting behind Prostate Cancer UK’s ‘Find it Earlier’ campaign as the charity declares it is about time you checked your risk. Take Prostate Cancer UK’s 30 second online risk checker now at prostatecanceruk.org/risk