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What happens when the sport that’s been your whole life suddenly stops?

Former Western Australian women’s cricket fast bowler Piepa Cleary shares the real story of retirement from professional sport, athlete identity loss, and what life after cricket actually feels like when the routine, team environment and performance goals disappear.

We dive into:

• The emotional impact of retiring from elite women’s cricket
• Athlete identity and self-worth beyond performance
• Recovering from an ACL injury and navigating setbacks
• Selection pressure in Big Bash cricket – when one over feels career-defining
• The detachment mindset that improves performance under pressure
• Playing free vs playing scared
• The six-month suspension that reshaped her resilience and career
• The growth of women’s cricket: funding, pathways, exposure and opportunity

Piepa opens up about the “small and harmless” betting mistake that led to a six-month ban — and why that forced reset became one of the most important chapters in her development.

This episode is for athletes navigating:

• Injury comebacks
• Retirement or career transition
• Performance anxiety
• Selection stress
• Identity outside of sport

Because sport can mean everything — but it shouldn’t be everything.

⏱️ Key Timestamps

03:17 – Retirement after 694 days: first game back and what it meant
13:06 – Life skills sport teaches young athletes
15:56 – Growth of women’s cricket: contracts, funding and exposure
23:22 – Touring realities: recovery, sleep and flexibility
34:25 – Selection pressure and playing scared
38:00 – Detachment mindset and playing free

Follow Piepa on Instagram @piepa_cleary 

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