Talia Lazarus knows first-hand how powerful community can be. After taking part in StriveAid last year, she is preparing to return with a message of resilience, belonging and simply not giving up.
For Talia Lazarus, StriveAid is about far more than football.
Having taken part in the event last year, she experienced first-hand what can happen when football brings people together for something bigger than the game itself.
From meeting supporters and football figures to being part of an event built around community and mental health, StriveAid left a lasting impression.
Now, with this year's event approaching, Talia is ready to return.
And for someone who has built much of her own work around resilience and mental health awareness, the connection feels particularly natural.
"What makes me want to be a part of it in general is what they do for the community as well, and how it gives everybody a platform to be a part of something."
But there is another part of StriveAid that matters just as much to her.
"Especially to be so close with some people's biggest idols, the people that they love the most in football, which is really important."
For Talia, football has always had the ability to create connections between people who might otherwise never cross paths.
And that is exactly what she sees in StriveAid.
Football Creates A Sense Of Belonging
Football can mean something different to everyone.
For some, it is supporting a club passed down through generations. For others, it is an international team, a favourite player or simply the friendships created around the sport.
But Talia believes that shared passion is what makes football so powerful.
“When you support a team, it becomes like a family to you.”
Whether someone supports Arsenal, Manchester United or a club on the other side of the world, football can become part of their identity.
That connection can also transcend borders.
Talia loves asking people from different countries which club they support — and, more importantly, why.
The answers can reveal family connections, friendships, childhood memories or simply a player who inspired someone to fall in love with the game.
"It doesn't matter who you are, but you connect with people when it comes to football."
That sense of belonging is something she sees at the heart of StriveAid.
The event brings together people from different backgrounds, different football loyalties and different walks of life, creating a community around a shared passion.
‘Just Don’t Give Up’
Resilience is a central part of Talia's own story.
Through her work with I Got Back Up, she has created a platform focused on sharing stories of people overcoming adversity and finding the strength to continue.
For Talia, “getting back up” doesn't necessarily mean overcoming one enormous obstacle.
Sometimes, it can be much simpler.
"Getting back up can be a daily task. It can literally be getting out of bed in the morning, making a cup of coffee in the morning."
Her philosophy comes from understanding that strength is not always something people recognise within themselves.
"I've been through some things in my life where I didn't even realise my own strength until strength was quite literally the only thing I had left."
That experience has shaped how she views resilience.
It is not about returning to exactly who you were before a setback.
Instead, it is about allowing the experience to shape what comes next.
"It's not about getting back to where you were before. It's actually getting back but better."
It is a message that sits naturally alongside StriveAid's focus on mental health.
The Importance Of Having People Around You
For anyone experiencing difficult periods in their life, Talia believes having the right people around you can make an enormous difference.
Support does not necessarily have to mean solving someone's problems.
Sometimes, simply having somebody willing to listen can be enough to make the next step feel possible.
"Having the right support system helps you with those baby steps that you might be having to take."
She describes the value of being able to share a problem, talk through an idea or simply have someone standing beside you.
"Problem shared is a problem half."
And while she recognises that not everybody has a large support network, she believes finding even one person can make a difference.
"Sometimes even if you can just find one person to have to get you through that, it's really important."
Talia knows the importance of that support personally.
Five years on from the accident that changed her life, she can now look back at memories that once felt incredibly difficult.
She remembers friends helping her through those moments, including travelling with crutches and a knee brace.
Now, those experiences have become part of her story.
"Without them, I wouldn't be where I am today."
Turning Personal Experience Into Hope For Others
Talia's experiences are also what inspired I Got Back Up.
What began as a blog featuring the stories of people in her life eventually developed into a podcast and a wider platform for conversations around mental health.
The response showed her just how powerful sharing personal experiences can be.
People reading the stories weren't simply learning about somebody else's struggles.
They were finding hope for themselves.
"If I can help one person on this planet somewhere not give up, give them that glimmer of hope, give them that glimmer of light to not give up and to keep going, to take that first step, which is always the hardest, then that's my job done."
It is also why StriveAid resonates with her.
Mental health struggles can often feel isolating, but Talia wants people to understand that they are not necessarily facing those experiences alone.
"When you go through these things as well, it can be a really lonely place, but actually, there is so much support out there."
For her, the message is simple.
"Just don't give up."
A Growing Women's Game
Talia has also noticed the rapid growth of women's football in recent years.
Having worked around the game, she has seen more people talking about women's football and, importantly, showing greater respect towards it.
For Talia, representation matters.
"Everyone's equal."
She believes seeing women succeed in football can have an impact far beyond the pitch.
Young girls can see players they admire achieving things they might once have considered impossible.
"If this person can go there and do this and this dream can happen for them, then it can absolutely happen for me."
That visibility is another example of football's wider influence — giving people something to aspire to while creating communities around shared experiences.
What Football Fans Have In Common
Having spoken to players, coaches and supporters from different backgrounds, Talia believes there is one quality that connects football fans everywhere.
Passion.
"When someone's passionate about something, their entire face lights up."
It does not even matter whether you support the same team.
She recalls being at Arsenal's Champions League quarter-final against Real Madrid, when Declan Rice scored two spectacular free-kicks.
The moment created a memory that stayed with her — but what fascinated her just as much was how football fans who supported different clubs could still appreciate what they had witnessed.
That is the power of passion.
"When you see someone doing something from love and passion, there's so much authenticity behind it. It's beautiful."
And that passion, she believes, is exactly what makes matchdays feel like more than just watching football.
“Going to a game on match day, it's just growing. It's like going to a concert. You just have the best time.”
The Football Boots She Never Expected To Buy
There is also one particularly memorable part of Talia's first StriveAid experience.
She arrived without a pair of football boots.
So, on the morning of the event, she headed to Sports Direct and asked for some help choosing a pair.
The result?
A brand-new pair of bright orange adidas F50s.
"I rocked up to StriveAid with my brand new F50s."
They even happened to be the latest colourway, meaning Talia arrived in a pair that immediately caught people's attention.
"I remember people being like, ‘Wow, you've got the new colour.’ And I was like, ‘Yeah. Got the colour.’"
There was just one problem.
The boots have barely been used since.
"They've been in my cupboard ever since."
That could be about to change.
With another StriveAid approaching, the boots may finally get their second outing.
"Come October and they'll be in use."
‘Just Have A Lot Of Fun’
For those experiencing StriveAid for the first time, Talia's advice is straightforward.
Don't overthink it.
After working in events herself, she understands how quickly people can become stressed when things don't go according to plan.
But sometimes, the best memories come from simply embracing whatever happens.
"Just take part in any way possible, and have a great, fun day."
Her advice is to avoid becoming too focused on having a perfect plan.
"Just go with every colour in your mind and just have so much fun."
It is a philosophy that extends beyond StriveAid.
Things will inevitably go wrong. Plans will change. Mistakes will happen.
Talia has learned to focus on what can be controlled rather than worrying about everything that cannot.
And she has seen that change in herself.
Recently, after filming an interview where the microphone failed, she simply went back to the person involved and asked to do it again.
"Maybe last year I wouldn't have. I would have been way too embarrassed to go and ask them again."
This time, she tapped them on the shoulder and filmed the whole thing again.
Her conclusion?
"Why stress? Why get worried? Just go with what you can. You can't control everything and just have a lot of fun."
That may be the perfect message ahead of another StriveAid.
Football will provide the backdrop, but the day is about much more than what happens on the pitch.
It is about community, connection, mental health, resilience and creating a space where people can simply be themselves.
And for Talia, whether it is through I Got Back Up, football or StriveAid, the message remains the same.
Get back up. And don't give up.
Get Your StriveAid 2026 Tickets
With Roberto Carlos, Gilberto Silva and a growing group of creators preparing to take to the pitch, StriveAid 2026 promises a full day of football, community and entertainment at Worthing FC.
Tickets are now available through Fanbase.
