ROXY PERRY

It was the night before the Lead event of the 2019 World Cup in Tokyo and Roxy Perry was trying to manage pre-event nerves when she checked her emails. What she found would batter her emotions and unsettle her preparation – an anonymous troll had sent her an abusive email.

How did receiving the anonymous abusive email the night before a big competition affect you?

First I was in disbelief. I was mad at myself for even checking my email. Then I was hugely heartbroken. There was actually someone out there who had the audacity to steal what I’d worked so hard for. I’d recently been through a period of struggle with my headspace and body image, and I was finally at a point where I felt comfortable and confident in my Green and Gold, the Boulder round had gone well and I was looking forward to the Lead event. After receiving the email my readiness was shattered. I battled with many emotions and even felt ashamed for letting it get to me the way it did. I was traumatised for the remainder of the event. Unfortunately, although most of the email had attacked me personally, some of