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Female athlete holding her knee in pain

Sarah Perris — HerACLJourney — Injury Rehab Network

On Wednesday, 2 September, the Injury Rehab Network welcomed Sarah Perris, Founder of HerACLJourney, alongside her daughters India and Georgie, to introduce an ambitious new global resource for women and girls affected by ACL injuries.

The online event took place on the evening of Wednesday, 2nd September, with 300 practitioners joining from across the sports healthcare community. The recording is online here.

Sarah Perris

Sarah Perris, Founder of HerACLJourney

Sarah Perris is the founder of HerACLJourney, a Community Interest Company building the world’s first free resource for all women and girls recovering from ACL injuries — from prevention through surgery, rehab and return to sport. She was inspired by her rugby-playing and coaching twin daughters, Georgie and India, who have had three major ACL injuries between them.

Sarah is a corporate communications strategist with over 20 years of senior leadership experience at global blue-chip companies, including a decade at Ford Motor Company and five years as Worldwide Communications Director for Bentley Motors. She now runs her own Strategic Communications consultancy, Perris-Myatt, advising blue-chip, public sector and charity organisations on brand, reputation and crisis management. A Northern Power Women’s ‘Power List’ honouree and an EDI champion across business and sport, she works on HerACLJourney unpaid, supported by more than 150 clinicians, researchers and athletes.

Sarah was joined by her daughters, India, Women’s Talent Pathway Manager at Sale Sharks Women, and Georgie, Sale Sharks Women Captain and USA Eagles Vice-Captain, who kindly shared their ACL journeys.

HerACLJourney: A global resource for the two million+ women and girls who suffer ACL injuries — every year

Georgie and India

India and Georgie’s ACL Journeys

India and Georgie began by sharing their contrasting experiences of three ACL injuries and four surgeries. Their stories highlighted how access to clinical, rehabilitation and psychological support can vary enormously—even between two athletes from the same family.

Why HerACLJourney is needed

Sarah explained that more than two million women and girls worldwide suffer an ACL injury each year, yet there is currently no single place where athletes, families and support teams can find accessible information covering the entire journey.

Inspired by her family’s experiences, Sarah established HerACLJourney as a Community Interest Company. The project aims to create a free global resource supporting women and girls from initial awareness and injury prevention through pre-operative preparation, surgery, rehabilitation and return to sport—or the decision to pursue life without that sport.

The planned resource will bring together:

  • Accessible information about ACL injuries and treatment options
  • Verified injury-prevention programmes and guidance
  • Expert information covering pre-operative preparation, rehabilitation and return to sport
  • Mental health and psychological support
  • Video stories from athletes, parents, clinicians and other members of the support team
  • A global hub for ACL research, with a particular focus on increasing female-specific research and collaboration

Sarah has already spoken with more than 150 clinicians, researchers, athletes and family members around the world, and the project has begun collecting research, guidance and lived-experience stories.

Supporting the whole ACL journey

A recurring theme throughout the webinar was that no two ACL journeys are the same.

India and Georgie spoke candidly about the isolation, uncertainty and loss of identity that can accompany a long rehabilitation. They described the challenges of setbacks, re-injury anxiety, and rebuilding confidence in movements such as changing direction, tackling, and producing force through the reconstructed knee.

They also emphasised the importance of sports psychology, supportive rehabilitation teams and preparing athletes for the less visible stages of recovery, particularly when someone may appear to have returned to normal life while still facing months of rehabilitation.

The discussion reinforced that support must extend beyond the athlete. Parents, carers, coaches, teammates, clinicians, strength and conditioning practitioners and sports psychologists can all influence the experience and outcome of rehabilitation.

Q&A highlights

The audience Q&A explored:

  • The different experiences associated with initial and revision ACL reconstruction
  • The psychological impact of prolonged rehabilitation and additional surgery
  • Re-injury anxiety when returning to sport
  • The value of prehabilitation while awaiting surgery
  • Developing confidence through progressive, sport-specific rehabilitation
  • The role of sports psychology, positive visualisation and self-talk
  • How clinicians and support networks can help athletes manage setbacks
  • The need for prevention resources designed with women and girls in mind

Female athlete holding knee in pain

Help build HerACLJourney

HerACLJourney is inviting clinicians, researchers, athletes, parents and others with experience of ACL injuries to contribute to the project.

Sarah is particularly seeking:

  • Existing resources, guidance and research
  • People willing to review or help create content
  • Video stories from athletes, clinicians and parents
  • Grassroots perspectives from different sports and countries
  • Introductions to potential partners and funders

To learn more, contribute or support the project, visit the holding page HerACLJourney.com.

Thank you to Sarah, India and Georgie for sharing their experiences so openly, and to everyone who attended and contributed to the discussion.

Presentation recording

The full presentation and audience Q&A can be viewed here.

Further information

For more information, please see the holding page HerACLJourney.com or follow Sarah Perris on LinkedIn.

2026 Injury Rehab Network events

You can join us for our next Injury Rehab Network event on 21st September at 7pm, where Professor David Bartlett, Physiotherapist, will be discussing concussion and the latest evidence base for management and rehabilitation.

Find out about and register your interest in all BASRaT-planned Injury Rehab Network events for 2026.

Please enter your details into the form below, along with any questions or comments, and a member of our team will be happy to provide you with more information:

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