34-year-old German keeper Ann-Katrin Berger has been exemplary with her perseverance and defiance to odds stacked against her, and she remains a beacon of inspiration for the football world. Berger has overcome two bouts of thyroid cancer. In spite of these hardships, she has not only maintained her professional career but excelled even in the most intense environments on the field. Her journey from cancer diagnosis to celebrated athlete illustrates the power of perseverance and the role of sport in mental health.
While playing for Birmingham City in the United Kingdom, Berger was first diagnosed with malignant melanoma in 2017. She embraced physical and emotional hurdles of her diagnosis, stage competing while going through treatment. Her dedication to her sport was apparent at every singles competition. By the end of the 2017/18 campaign, she earned recognition as part of the Professional Footballers’ Association (PFA) Team of the Season, solidifying her status as one of the top goalkeepers in women’s football.
In an awful stroke of irony, Berger was herself battling a second cancer diagnosis throughout the most recent UEFA Women’s Euro tournament. Even as she competed for Germany, she endured a grueling battery of tests. Those tests proved her cancer would soon be returning just days before the tournament’s final match. Even through this harrowing news, Berger was still a professional shot-stopper, doing her thing between the pipes.
Berger displayed immaculate form and nerves of steel through the quarter-final penalty kick shootout with Canada. She saved both, denying Ashley Lawrence and Adriana Leon from the spot. It was this performance that ultimately helped carry Germany into the knockout stage. She built off this performance with another masterclass against France in the semifinals, racking up nine saves on the night. Notably, she was instrumental in the penalty shootout, again showcasing her expertise by saving a crucial penalty that helped Germany secure victory 6-5.
Berger’s story has always been about her personal victories but she’s made wins for her team. Since being promoted to Germany’s No. 1 goalkeeper ahead of last summer’s Olympics, she has continued to shine in critical moments. She’s poised to curate a memorable run at the upcoming 2024 Olympic Games. Her memorable penalty save in the bronze medal match against Spain, where she became a certified penalty shootout specialist.
During her long career, Berger has been a fierce advocate for the mental health impact of playing football. She reflects on her experience, saying,
“Football saved my brain and saved my mental health because I had something to hold on to. I think that’s the main message from me for anyone who is going through anything.” – Ann-Katrin Berger
As for Berger, she has experienced tremendous success both artistically and commercially overseas. Though still fighting through treatment, she has since played her way to start against Chelsea, starting in the last five Women’s Super League (WSL) matches. It is her ability to balance the extremely high-performance levels with the ever present threat of her health challenges that inspires most everybody around her.
Emma Hayes, Chelsea’s manager cuts straight to the heart of the reason Berger flourishes under pressure, when she says,
“She’s someone who really thrives in big moments.” – Emma Hayes
For all of her achievements, Berger is humble and knows the value of lessons learned in victory as much as that understood in loss. She mentioned,
“Sometimes in football… it’s good to lose, to really know how it is to lose, a real pain, and that sometimes it’s just not enough to perform like that.” – Ann-Katrin Berger
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