Op-Ed: The Death of Grant Wahl Should Serve as a Reminder about the Importance of Self Care

By: Zachary Draves

The sudden death of beloved soccer journalist Grant Wahl remains a hard pill to swallow almost a week later. Last Saturday, the 48 year old was in Qatar covering the World Cup when he suddenly collapsed in the press box while watching the semifinal matchup between Argentina and the Netherlands. After an autopsy was performed by the New York State Medical Examiner, it was determined that an aortic aneurysm caused his death, which is the blockage of blood flow from the heart through the chest and torso.

(Courtesy: ERICK W. RASCO/SPORTS ILLUSTRATED/GETTY)

Since Saturday, tributes have been pouring in from around the soccer world and beyond demonstrating the impact of a man who had touched so many lives in a short time.

The circumstances surrounding his death have been cloaked with suspicion about potential foul play considering the geopolitical dynamics of the host country, plus Wahl’s willingness to call them out for their egregious offenses such as the death of migrant workers in the construction of the stadiums and their vicious anti-LGBTQ+ laws. The latter of which got him momentarily detained because he walked into the stadium wearing a pride t-shirt, consistent with his long standing support of LGBTQ+ rights.

(Courtesy: Twitter/Grant Wahl)

Now that the cause of his death has been confirmed with no evidence of foul play thus far, this should serve as a moment to discuss an important aspect of life that everyone needs to take up and in this case sports journalists, which is frequently overlooked.

Self-Care.

(Courtesy: Andy Mead | YCJ | Icon Sportswire |Corbis | Getty Images)

We generally think of self-care as the things we do in our leisure time, where we leave the pressures and stressors of work behind and just take time to smell the roses. Examples include exercising, reading, mindfulness, therapy, aromatherapy, journaling, etc. Oftentimes we take it for granted and it may be seen as trivial, but what we need to understand is that it is vital to our overall well-being and can help us become better sports journalists.

According to the website Everyday Health, “research suggests self-care promotes positive health outcomes, such as fostering resilience, living longer, and becoming better equipped to manage stress.” It also has been proven to make us better people, establish healthy relationships, and be productive at our jobs.

Three days before his death, Wahl had spoken about what led him in part to go to a medical clinic in Qatar after he had taken ill and it is telling while simultaneously haunting.

“My body finally broke down on me. Three weeks of little sleep, high stress and lots of work can do that to you.”

Take his words to heart. Listen to your body. We need to prioritize sleep, lower our stress levels, and try to establish a healthy work/life balance to where we don’t overexert ourselves. In our business, it can be hard to do considering how competitive it is and how we are always looking for the next game and event to cover. For those of us who are up incoming, we take every opportunity afforded to us and then some in order to move up the ladder. Our passions and desires sometimes may come at the expense of our time, but we need to take some time for ourselves.

It doesn’t mean that you are selfish, lazy, inadequate, or untrustworthy.

Opportunities will always be here and your time will come. Obviously put in the work, learn the craft, develop connections, establish credibility, and continue to grow, but at the same time if your body is telling you that you need a break, take a break.

Indulge yourself in self-care that is in accordance with your interests whatever they may be. Also enjoy the company of family and friends that can help remind you of who you are. We need to see ourselves as human beings before sports journalists.

Grant Wahl was a human being who happened to be an accomplished sports journalist. Part of his legacy was that he mentored other journalists and ensured that they knew that they were supported. He even contributed to publications that were on a much lower scale than Sports Illustrated, where he worked for 25 years, because he wanted to give aspiring writers their shine.

One of the best ways we can honor him is to not only pay it forward in terms of career development, but personal development. Part of that includes looking out for ourselves so that we can be the best version of ourselves and be as great as he was.

(Courtesy: Photo by Hector Vivas – FIFA/FIFA via Getty Images)

“Keep taking time for yourself until you’re you again.”- Lalah Delia

Rest in Peace Grant Wahl.