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Daily Mirror
5 days ago
- Entertainment
- Daily Mirror
Lionesses who lost parents united in grief as they share touching goal tribute
The Lionesses have achieved so much in the last three years, but behind the scenes in their personal lives, Ella Toone and Beth Mead have faced devastating losses There were six goal celebrations for England on Sunday, as they delivered the biggest thrashing of the Euros yet. But for two Lionesses, it was a particularly special moment. When Ella Toone and Beth Mead scored against Wales in the 21st and 72nd minute, both looked, pointed and blew a kiss to the sky. Ella's dad Nick and Beth's mum June are no longer cheering their girls on in the stands, after each succumbing to their own battles with cancer. But speaking after their huge win Ella, 25, and Beth, 30, told how they had become united in their grief. Speaking after the game, Ella from Tyldesley, Greater Manchester said: "I'm so happy for Beth. I was buzzing she got that goal and we both could celebrate to the sky. I'm sure they will be up there with a few pints in their hands watching us. We have really bonded over such a terrible thing but it's nice to have someone who has been through it and who understands and who knows exactly what is going on and what is going on in my head as well. We definitely have each other's backs, we are proud of each other and it's nice we are constantly talking about them. It's nice to have someone in the same situation and we know we are doing them proud." Ella's dad Nick died of prostate cancer just days before his 60th birthday last September, while Beth's mum June died in January 2023 after a battle with ovarian cancer. Beth, who was injured and unable to play in the Australian World Cup that year, told how her mum had asked for the England anthem 'Sweet Caroline' to be played at her funeral. Beth said: "Every time I hear that song when I'm on a football pitch. I look to the spot where she'd be dancing away, and I think of her. Sometimes it makes me feel good. Sometimes it crushes me." But in the months since their deaths, Beth told how she has been a shoulder for Ella, whose grief is still particularly fresh. For both players, this Euros in Switzerland is the first tournament without their late parents. Speaking about their tough first game, where England lost to France 2-1, Beth, from Whitby, North Yorks, said: "After the first game we really struggled. You look to the stands for your person who was standing there and they are not there anymore. My mum was the first person I would look for in the stands so I understand what Ella felt in that moment. It's special to be able to have that moment to think about them and dedicate it to them. She added: "I've been a shoulder to be there for her. There have been moments when she has asked 'is this normal, does that feel normal, why am I thinking this?'. I'm like 'it's completely normal, I've been there and I still feel like it now'. We have conversations about it, where she says 'you talk so easily about it', but ultimately, I've had a little bit longer to process it compared to her and we all deal with it differently and I think she is dealing pretty amazingly with it right now." In a heart-wrenching interview following her dad's death, Ella revealed that her dad had fought cancer for a year without telling her. Before heading to Switzerland, Ella told how her pals had bought her a pillow with her dad's face on so she can still hug him at the Euros. Speaking about her loss she said: "Sometimes I think he's going to come back, like he's right in the other room waiting for me so he can have a joke or some banter." But Ella knows her dad will be watching down and 'buzzing' for her every time she scores a goal. She said: "My boyfriend told me if a little girl had Toone on the back of her shirt, my dad would go over and say, 'I'm Ella Toone's dad.' I said, 'Dad, that's so embarrassing.' But he was just dead proud."
Daily Mirror
11-07-2025
- Health
- Daily Mirror
Inside England Lionesses' -120C cryotherapy chamber helping heroes bounce back
Football teams have been using cryotherapy for years, with England men and women's teams both having used the cryo-pods at the Euros this year and last year The Lionesses are recovering between games thanks to a state of the art cryotherapy chamber which has been driven 800-miles all the way from the UK. The ice cold chamber, which plummets to -120C, helps to reduce lactic acid and delayed onset muscle soreness (DOMS) so players can get back to fighting fitness ahead of their next Women's Euros 2025 bout. In the last five years cryotherapy has soared in popularity, becoming a recovery favourite for sporting legends including Erling Haaland and Novak Djokovic. And now these cryo-vans have become a staple for the English Football Association, which also had a mobile chamber driven to Blankenhain for the 2024 Men's Euros in Germany. Recalling her playing days, legendary Lionesses Jill Scott said it 'got her through' the Euros and World Cup. During the Australian World Cup of 2023 the Lionesses splurged out on private cryo-sessions in a clinic close to their base in Terrigal. Determined to test the hype, the Mirror booked a session in Zurich city centre, where the Lionesses have been preparing for the Battle of Britain against Wales on Sunday. We spoke to Dr Oliver Boekels of the Ayun Longevity Clinic where a three minute session will set you back just £50 (55CHF). Asked why he thinks cryotherapy has become a must-have for elite athletes, Dr Boekels, 57, said: "Cryotherapy promotes healing of the muscles and joints, which means you can perform better the next day. You want to perform the best you possibly can without overdoing it. If you give your body everything it needs.. you can stimulate the mitochondria in your cells which effectively fuel your body." As well as promoting healing, cryotherapy improves sleep, prevents aging, releases endorphins and can burn 300-800 calories in one three-minute session. As I prepare to step inside the chamber, I'm given a wooly hat, socks, gloves and a mask to protect my extremities and lungs. The rest of my body should be as exposed as possible to ensure maximum benefit and allow the cold air to penetrate my skin. Dr Boekels explains that when I get inside, they will give me 60 seconds to acclimatise to the cold before sending a wind chill into the chamber to get rid of my natural heat barrier. After 90 seconds, the chamber is almost painfully cold and I find myself holding the mask to my face to try and keep the air inside just warm enough to breathe. It seems ludicrous that the air around me is now -110C. Despite the discomfort, it is tolerable. While cryotherapy has been cemented as a crucial recovery step for athletes, Dr Boekels says there are also other popular therapies including altitude training, red light therapy and using a hyperbaric chamber. This huge chamber pushes 100% oxygen into the body to help the lungs, brain and other organs. But before people are offered therapies Dr Boekels and the team at Ayun will run several tests to tailor their health plan for each unique customer. Dr Boekels said: "By tailoring the therapies, vitamins and supplements to your exact needs, you are giving it exactly the fuel it needs and effectively supercharging your body." I can see my last ten seconds counting down in the ice cold cryo-chamber. Frost has formed on my hairs and when I finally step out the warm air feels like a hug. We take my external temperature and it has dropped by 11C to 21C from 32C. Although the Ayun team explains that they would like to get my temperature down to 20C to get maximum benefit, I can already feel the rush of endorphins hitting me. I feel revitalised and ready to take on the day, but I'm probably still a few sessions off being able to take on the Lionesses.
Daily Mirror
04-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mirror
Lioness' adorable nephew 'thinks aunty's house is a stadium'
The Lionesses have an entourage of family members planning to join them in Switzerland as they take on their first match of the Women's Euros 2025 Lioness Lucy Bronze has told how her little niece and nephew 'think Aunty Lucy's house is a stadium' after growing up watching her play at major tournaments. Among the England legend's most loyal fan base are Alzira, three, and Freddie, five, who have been following their aunt's glittering career with their dad Jorge Bronze, since they were born. Lucy's brother and wife Charis took their little ones to cheer on the Lionesses at the Australian World Cup two years ago and will be touching down to do the same again in Switzerland. But having only ever known a life of major tournaments and Champions League finals, Lucy told how her niece and nephew haven't realised quite what a big deal their aunty's team is yet. She told the Mirror: "Freddie thinks that Aunty Lucy's house is a stadium. He actually says that. I think they just think it's super normal to go on four week holidays to football matches and have your dad scream at 22 women running around the field. I think they just think that's really normal." The mini Bronzes were mascots at the Lionesses' send off match against Jamaica and also joined players' families in St George Park before the team departed to Switzerland. After coming through the youth ranks together, many of the players' families are now a tight knit group of friends who have watched the girls grow up into Lionesses together. Lucy added: "I think they're still not old enough, but they absolutely love coming and we have a lot of young family members in the different families now, and I think it's that's nice to share moments with them and they were both, obviously they were mascots in our last game, even though technically they weren't old enough, but it was fine. They loved that, but they still had no idea. They'll look back at pictures and will probably realise, but yeah they have no idea." A few days after the Lionesses touched down on Swiss soil, the squad enjoyed a team outing to Lake Zurich where they were treated to a boat ride across the picturesque glacial lake. Some 41,000 English fans are set to follow the team to Switzerland and roar in the stands as they bid for another European Championship victory A number of fans gathered at the Lionesses training ground on Friday to catch their first glimpse of the squad before watching their opening game tomorrow night (Sat). Al Li, 13, from Newcastle had flown to Zurich with her parents after securing some last minute tickets for the bout. Mum Kerry Bruce told the Mirror they'd spent more than £600 just getting out to Switzerland for just four nights to see the Lionesses. Kerry, 33, said: "I have a friend who lives in Zurich that we could stay with so I knew we could be at this match. "We are so excited, I was crying before, it';s our dream to actually see them. You see all the fans getting to meet them and we are just not normally that lucky. We will be absolutely buzzing to see them win. We think it will be Spain vs England again in the final. "We'd love to come back out to see them play in the final. If we had the funds we would be back out in a heartbeat."
Yahoo
10-04-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
English county celebrate coup by signing Ellyse Perry
Ellyse Perry is set to become a star attraction in the revamped English women's cricket program after being snapped up by Hampshire to play in two competitions this summer. The southern county, one of England's eight tier-one professional women's teams, believe the signing of the 34-year-old, who has a claim on being the finest ever female cricketer, is a major coup, just like when they first snapped up Shane Warne for the men's domestic game a quarter of a century ago. The eight-time Australian World Cup winner Perry - with two triumphs in the global ODI competition and six in T20s - was named women's player of the decade in 2020 and was still playing some of the best cricket of her illustrious career in the recent Women's Premier League in India. ✍️ ELLYSE PERRY SIGNS FOR HAMPSHIRE 🇦🇺That's right, the legendary Ellyse Perry is a Hawk for 2025 😍 — Hampshire Cricket (@hantscricket) April 10, 2025 The all-time leading run-scorer and wicket-taker in the Women's Ashes will join up with Hampshire in July for their last six group matches in the T20 Blast tournament and will be able to play on Finals day if they qualify. She'll also play in the One Day Cup, saying she's looking forward to joining up with the team for her debut on July 4 against the Blaze. The following month, she will also feature for the Edgbaston-based Birmingham Phoenix in The Hundred, England's premier white-ball event. "The club has been a leader within the women's game for the last 10 years and I'm excited to have the opportunity to join the team at such an exciting time for domestic cricket in England," said Perry. Hampshire head coach Paul Prichard said: "Ellyse is one of the world's best cricketers. Her record across all formats speaks for itself and she will add a tremendous amount of value on and off the pitch." Perry is sure to get a warm welcome even though she's known as England's biggest scourge, as a five-time Ashes winner and the all-time leading run scorer and wicket taker in matches between the old enemies.
