The Last Word with Matt Cooper Irish International Andrew Porter On How His Drive To Excel In Rugby Helped Him Overcome His Eating Disorder
Oct 15, 2025
Andrew Porter, international rugby star and author of 'Heart on My Sleeve', shares his journey through grief and recovery. He opens up about how losing his mother at a young age led to an eating disorder and suicidal thoughts, revealing the power of family support in his healing. Porter discusses how rugby became a turning point, re-framing food as fuel, and emphasizes the impact of his late ADHD diagnosis on self-awareness. He highlights how fatherhood transformed his priorities, helping him find balance beyond the sport.
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Warm Memories Of His Mother
- Andrew Porter remembers his mother as outgoing, always smiling, and central to his childhood memories.
- He spent summers at a seaside house and on a farm, which he recalls as happy, grounding places.
Funeral Then New School
- At 12, Andrew attended his mother’s funeral then started a new school the next day in the same uniform.
- He describes those early years at St Andrews as isolating and the start of a private struggle.
Hidden Eating Disorder As A Teen
- Grief triggered an eating disorder where Andrew hid or threw away food and induced vomiting to feel control.
- He now finds it hard to recognise that teenager given how important food and routine are to his current life.
