"Until New Year's Eve, I was totally relaxed. I enjoyed having time off, mentally as well. And then, on January 1st, came the crash. Suddenly the adrenaline was gone, and I felt how exhausting everything had been, the tension of the last few months. I was completely wiped out, and I remember saying to my parents, 'I have no idea how I'm going to get back to Munich now.'"
"Comparisons are always difficult, but I think it was similar to getting sick on vacation because your body can finally let go. I had been so focused on being positive the whole time, putting so much incredible energy into it - and when the tension was gone, I realized what it had all cost me. I needed a few days to catch my breath, then things started to improve again."
Mala Grohs was diagnosed with cancer in October 2024 and was sidelined as Bayern Munich Frauen's first-choice goalkeeper. She finished therapy a few days before Christmas and received the all-clear, then experienced a severe post-treatment crash on January 1 that left her exhausted and needing time to recover. She described months of mental and physical recovery and not fully processing the experience until summer. Around 15 months after the diagnosis she returned to play, making a notable comeback in the Champions League against Lyon in which she saved a penalty.
Read at Bavarian Football Works
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