MARK SELBY was told he “saved”;; the life of an anguished woman who decided not to kill herself after she heard the snooker ace speak publicly about his own mental health demons.
The four-time , 41, has had many trials and tribulations off the baize and takes prescribed medication to combat his inner turmoil.
A year ago, reached a low ebb, telling SunSport that his “head has been like a circus”;; as wife Vikki underwent radiotherapy for breast cancer.
Around the same time, a close family friend had passed away, at the age of 44, when cancer spread to other parts of her body.
In the past, Selby had decided to keep his issues private, not telling anyone outside of his close circle of family and friends.
But his decision a few years ago to make everything public – he issued an emotional statement on social media in 2022 about his woes – had helped him through the dark periods.
And last month, the day before the start of the , the Leicester Jester was stopped by a fan, who bravely told him that his previous comments about his troubles had stopped her committing suicide.
The remarkable conversation happened as players walked along a green carpet on Good Friday outside of the Theatre in Sheffield.
Selby explained: “I was doing a few autographs and pictures. And this girl came up to me, bless her.
“She only must have been in her mid-20s. She said: ‘Mark, can I just say something to you?’
“Of course, I said. She replied: ‘I just want to say, I tried to take my own life a little while ago and hearing you speak out made me realise there’s more to life – and you can get on.’
“So, that was quite emotional and touching, knowing that you have helped someone – because you never know what’s going on behind closed doors.
“If you can help one person, that girl for example, that obviously makes it worthwhile, me speaking out. It basically saved her life.
“There’s a lot more people going through it than what you think. And I was one of them.
“I put on a mask for so many years and people probably looked at me and thought I seemed like the happiest person in the world.
“You put a front on when you’re out there and then when you’re behind it all, you’re a different person.”;;
Selby ended up losing in the first round of the Worlds to hometown rival Ben Woollaston last month but as disappointed as he was at the time, he knows it is only a game of snooker.
This week is Mental Health Awareness Week and Selby is a big advocate of his sport doing more to help those who are struggling away from the balls.
Selby and seven-time world champion had a fascinating chat live on TNT Sports during the Masters in January.
During their on-air talk they discussed the prospect of a full-time psychologist being on hand backstage to listen to any players that need to urgently talk.
The world No.7 added: “It’s definitely a good idea. It’s whether we can make that happen.
“Whoever the guy is, they’ll have to get funded, so it’ll have to come out of somebody’s pocket.
In individual sports, if you aren’t in the right head space, chances are you won’t win. We travel in and out of airports, to hotels... snooker can be a lonely place.
“There will be a lot more players struggling than what we think. It’s difficult to speak out at times.
“People feel like they can’t. Having that person in the corner, whereas it’s just 15-20 minutes, somebody to go off to talk to.
“Ronnie was saying maybe you could book a slot, a bit like you can do with a practice table.
“In football, you’ve got the other 10 guys who bring you along. Even if you are feeling down, the team could still win.
“Whereas in individual sports, if you aren’t in the right head space, chances are you won’t win.
“We travel here, there and everywhere, in and out of airports, to hotels. If you’re on your own all the time, snooker can be a lonely place.
“Especially if you’re going through a bad patch, where you aren’t winning games.
“You’re literally going there, getting beaten, going home. It’s tough mentally and physically.”;;
