For years, Heather Fisher couldn’t bear to look at herself in the mirror.
“I didn’t look in a mirror for four or five years,” the former England and Team GB rugby star says. “I felt disgusting — because people looked at me like I was a something, not someone.”
At 41, Fisher has long retired from international rugby, but her battles off the pitch — with alopecia, self-image, and society’s expectations — remain some of her toughest tests.
Losing Hair, Finding Courage
In the build-up to the 2010 Rugby World Cup, Fisher began losing her hair, triggered by a serious back injury. Within five weeks, it was all gone.
“I went to camp with my teammates and my coaches actually shaved my hair off,” she recalls. That moment marked the beginning of a long, painful journey with alopecia — an autoimmune condition that destroys hair follicles.
Wigs felt unnatural, she says. “It felt like I was hiding. I wanted to own it — but that wasn’t easy in a system where I didn’t feel I could be myself.”
‘I’ve Been Poked Out of Toilets’
Fisher’s bald head and muscular build drew unwanted attention and cruel assumptions.
“I’ve had wigs thrown at me. I’ve been asked why I’m playing women’s rugby when I’m a guy. I’ve been poked out of toilets and even stopped by police,” she says.
Her words reveal the hidden toll of being visibly different. “As an athlete, you’re told to just take the hits. But why should anyone be checked to prove what they are?”
‘We Understand Muscles and Women — But Not Muscles and No Hair’
Rugby has been hailed as one of the most inclusive sports, but Fisher believes society still struggles to accept women who don’t fit traditional ideals of femininity.
“We can accept women with muscles, but we don’t understand muscles and no hair,” she says.
Social media, she admits, has changed the conversation. Stars like American rugby player Ilona Maher have used platforms like TikTok to celebrate athletic strength and femininity. “Ilona’s brilliant — but she still looks feminine,” Fisher adds. “For me, that’s where the difference lies.”
‘Born to Stand Out’
Today, Fisher channels her journey into motivational speaking, punditry, and leadership training. She’s appeared on Celebrity SAS: Who Dares Wins and Go Hard or Go Home, inspiring others to embrace their difference.
Would she change her story if she could? “No,” she says without hesitation. “Having hair again would just make me itchy. My alopecia made me resilient. It made me who I am. I was born to stand out.”
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