During the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup, Matildas star Tameka Yallop was doing what she has done more than a hundred times before – stepping onto the field to represent Australia.
From the outside, it was a career-defining moment. The kind athletes spend years working towards. But behind the scenes, it was a different story.
“The World Cup was probably when everything peaked for me. I was experiencing one of the worst flare-ups I’d had,” the Brisbane Roar FC captain tells The Weekly.
“I was in constant contact with my doctor. We actually had multiple surgery bookings lined up depending on how far we progressed in the tournament,” she says. “After each stage, if we kept advancing, we’d push it back again.”
As soon as the Matildas’ run ended, Tameka went straight into surgery, where she was diagnosed with deep endometriosis.
“They found quite extensive disease, which was confronting but also a relief to finally have answers.”
For Tameka, now 34, the experience feels surreal in hindsight.
“That period really highlighted how much I had been carrying while still trying to perform at the highest level.”
The symptoms she pushed through for year
It wasn’t until Tameka came off the pill in her mid-twenties that she realised something wasn’t right.
“My periods became more irregular, the pain got worse, and I was experiencing symptoms that didn’t feel like what I thought was ‘normal’,” she says.
“I suspected something might be going on, but I managed it and kept playing. That’s what you do as an athlete, you push through.”
Having competed in four FIFA Women’s World Cups and three Olympic Games, Tameka knows that mindset well. While it can be a huge strength, it can also work against you.
“You’re taught to be resilient, to push through pain and not let things hold you back. So for me, I probably downplayed what I was experiencing for a long time because I didn’t want it to affect my performance or my role in the team.”
She continued to train and compete, even when her body was telling her otherwise.
“I just assumed it was something I had to manage.”
The moment everything changed
Surgery was “life-changing” for Tameka.
“For the first time in a long time, I felt like I wasn’t constantly managing pain in the background,” she says. “That’s been really freeing.”
Looking back, she can now see the toll endometriosis had taken on her.
“It had a much bigger impact on me than I realised at the time,” she says.
“Physically, it was exhausting managing the pain alongside training and competing. Mentally, there was a lot of frustration and uncertainty, not really knowing what was happening in my body. Emotionally, I probably kept a lot of it to myself for a long time, which can feel quite isolating,” she says.
Now an ambassador for Endometriosis Australia, she’s using her experience to raise awareness, break down stigma and encourage earlier diagnosis.
“I think the biggest thing is that severe pain isn’t something you should just accept as normal,” Tameka says. “If something doesn’t feel right, it’s important to speak up and get it checked.”
She also hopes to help young people in sport recognise the signs of endometriosis earlier.
A 2025 study by Federation University found that nearly one in five girls aged 10 to 16 have considered dropping out of organised sport due to period-related challenges.
“No one should feel like they have to give up sport because of period pain. The more we talk about these issues openly, the more we can help people get the support they need earlier,” she says.
