'In hell': Athletes meeting the challenge of anorexia nervosa.

By Daniela Intili

Sarah Coyte and Adriana Jones have fought their battles in the sporting arena but it is away from the pitch they have faced their fiercest rival, anorexia nervosa.

Sporting heroes emerge on our TV screens.

In no other field can a person transcend ordinariness simply by kicking the winning goal or scoring the most runs when the game hangs in the balance.

But the person on the screen is not complete — they are a two-dimensional character.

The real person, hidden behind the veil of heroism, is far more complicated, often flawed and dealing with a range of pressures that come with the territory of elite sport.

Two Australian sport stars, cricketer Sarah Coyte and footballer Adriana Jones, are coming forward to expose very private battles with their fiercest rival, anorexia nervosa.

Both women enjoyed success on the international stage, while secretly combating the illness for many years.

Coyte helped Australia win back the Ashes last year and guided the Southern Stars to a third World Twenty20 title in 2014 with match-winning figures of 3-16.

While proud of her success, 25-year-old Coyte breaks down when she recalls another tour where she resorted to alcohol to cope with her anorexia.

“I’m not proud of it but I was pretty much drunk every night trying to deal with it,” Coyte said.

Jones endured a ‘near-death experience’.

Like Coyte, Jones was on path of self-destruction, which almost proved fatal.

“My heart failed, so I’ve already had a near-death experience because of it,” Jones said.

The 21-year-old Jones spent all her teenage years fighting anorexia, despite representing Australia in football at the under-17s level.

Amid the constant hospitalisations and fears that she might self-harm, her life became a blur and at one stage her weight plummeted to just 37 kilograms.

“You’re in hell. Even when you try and reach your lowest goal, it gets lower,” she said.

“So even when I was 37 (kilograms), I would be like ‘that’s not good enough’, I wanted to be 35.”

So glad I’m not this girl anymore. I fight everyday not to be her even when life throws continuous obstacles and non stop challenges. I’m here. I will continuously give my all. I’ll never stop giving my all as a person till the end. #wearmyheartonmysleeve #iammorethan

A video posted by ADRIANA JONES (@_adrianajones) on Jan 25, 2016 at 2:12am PST

Their horror story is not unique.

Anorexia nervosa has the highest fatality rate of any mental illness, as it is 12 times higher than the annual death rate for females aged 15 to 24.

Studies show athletes are twice as likely to develop eating illnesses, often driven by a strong need to succeed and obsession surrounding diet and intense training.

Butterfly Foundation chief executive Christine Morgan, whose organisation is a national charity that supports those affected by eating disorders, says such illnesses are not uncommon among sportspeople.

“We know that people with eating disorders often have traits of perfectionism because so many competitive sports require a lean physique,” she said.

As the profile of women’s sport increases across traditional and social media, more female athletes could become susceptible to eating disorders.

It is a hypothesis Morgan supports.

“With anorexia nervosa you lose the capacity to see how thin you are and you are increasingly competing to become thinner,” she said.

“So any circumstances where you see yourself visually like on TV could exacerbate that.”

Early detection ‘absolutely critical’.

While sporting organisations are often well equipped to deal with eating disorders, not all of them have formal screening processes.

It is one of several recommendations by experts to help with early detection.

Another suggestion includes adopting a multi-disciplinary approach that involves health professionals, coaches, parents, administrators and the athlete.

“It is absolutely critical sporting organisations and all associated with them in the sporting arena have the capacity to identify and react to the signs of an eating disorder,” Morgan said.

“Now that we know there’s an increased incidence among athletes, we know the damage they can do to themselves may be irreparable.”

Matt McGregor oversees player welfare for Cricket South Australia and has spent the last few years working closely with Coyte to ensure she has the right support.

He agrees with the idea of promoting early screening, especially with more women’s sport being televised.

“As the profile of women’s sports lift and more games are televised, athletes become brands and their images are everywhere,” McGregor said.

“That can increase the pressure around weight, so it’s definitely something sporting industries and cricket are going to have to keep an eye on.”

‘You’re not alone’.

Jones is now 20 kilograms heavier and kicking goals for Adelaide United as a striker in the W-League.

She credits the support of her sport and family, and wants to ensure other young vulnerable players do not go down the same path.

But Jones warns the road to recovery is not easy.

“It’s difficult, I’m not going to lie,” she said.

But where there is hope, there is life.

“You’re not alone. Don’t be scared to talk about it because there are going to be 100 other people in the same boat,” Jones said.

Coyte is now playing for Adelaide Strikers in the Women’s Big Bash League, carving out a new career as a personal trainer and writing a blog about her recovery.

Through courage, strength and love, Coyte and Jones are proof there is light at the end of even the darkest tunnels.

Perhaps Coyte best sums it up.

“Keep fighting. It gets harder but then it gets easier,” she said.

“The dark days aren’t always going to be there.”

If you need to talk to someone, you can call: Butterfly Foundation National Helpline on 1800 334 673; Lifeline Australia 13 11 14

This post originally appeared on ABC News.