Voices for Voices®

The Silent Battle: Robert Enke's Tragic Story | Ep 298

• Founder of Voices for Voices®, Justin Alan Hayes • Season 4 • Episode 298

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The Silent Battle: Robert Enke's Tragic Story | Ep 298

The devastating story of Robert Enke cuts straight to the heart of professional sports' greatest unspoken crisis. At just 32, this elite German goalkeeper with a promising international career ahead of him stepped in front of a train, leaving behind a grieving wife, an adopted daughter, and a shocked football world that never saw it coming.

Behind Enke's composed demeanor on the pitch lurked a years-long battle with depression that began in 2003. Despite his rising profile with Hanover 96 and the German national team, his mental health struggles remained hidden from all but his closest confidants. The cruel irony haunts us still—a man who seemingly had everything—fame, wealth, talent, respect—felt so trapped by his inner demons that he could see no way forward. The pressure of elite sports, where vulnerability equals weakness, created a prison of silence that ultimately proved fatal.

Particularly heartbreaking was the connection between Enke's suicide location and the nearby grave of his two-year-old daughter Lara, who had died three years earlier from heart disease. That profound loss deepened his depression, yet the professional football environment offered nowhere to safely process such pain. His suicide note revealed he feared losing everything—including his career and the chance to adopt another child—if his mental health struggles became public knowledge.

Enke's death sparked a reckoning within football. Germany postponed international matches, 40,000 fans attended his memorial, and the Robert Enke Foundation was established to raise awareness about mental health in sports. Yet progress remains painfully slow—as recently as 2023, only three of eighteen Bundesliga clubs employed full-time sports psychologists. His story serves as both warning and challenge: we must create spaces where vulnerability isn't punished but supported, where seeking help demonstrates strength rather than weakness.

If you're struggling, please remember that talking to someone and seeking help doesn't make you weak—it makes you human. Behind the masks we all wear, everyone battles something. Reach out, connect, and know that your life has immeasurable worth beyond any professional achievement.

Chapter Markers

0:00 Introduction and Show Welcome

2:41 Robert Enke's Life and Career

10:10 The Tragedy and Circumstances

17:52 Mental Health in Professional Sports

23:21 Personal Loss and Hidden Suffering

31:41 Legacy and Call for Compassion

40:00 Closing Thoughts and Call to Action

#RobertEnke #MentalHealthAwareness #SilentBattle #TragicStory #FootballLegend #AthleteMentalHealth #DepressionAwareness #SportsAndMentalHealth #LifeOfAnAthlete #EndTheSilence #InMemoryOfEnke #BreakingStigma #FootballHistory #MentalHealthMatters #SupportForAthletes #justiceforsurvivors #justice4survivors #VoicesforVoices #VoicesforVoicesPodcast #JustinAlanHayes #JustinHayes #help3billion #TikTok #Instagram #truth #factoverfictionmatters #transparency #VoiceForChange #HealingTogether

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Voices for VoicesⓇ, Justin Alan Hayes:

Hey everyone, welcome to another episode of the Voices for Voices TV show and podcast. I'm your host. Founder of Voices for Voices, Justin Alan Hayes. Thank you so much for joining us on this episode, whether this is your first or whether you've been with us from the beginning. We want to say thank you very much for spending even a millisecond with Voices for Voices. If you can do us a big favor, give us a thumbs up, subscribe, like, share, follow, comment. All those great things are free to do and helps us get closer to our goal of helping 3 billion people over the course of my lifetime and beyond and we just keep getting closer and closer to that. The magic number of our 300, it's just very of ours 300, it's just very humbling and being able to take a step back at a time or two on the organization and what we've accomplished in a short period of time, that we are Truly rising To the cream of the crop and we we can't do this without you and we haven't been able to do this without you. So any type of Support, volunteering, helping us out, subscribing, liking, sharing, following Voices for Voices, as well as our show that is on Rumble, youtube and all audio platforms you can find us. You'll see those great purple hands. It's all about helping others.

Voices for VoicesⓇ, Justin Alan Hayes:

This particular episode is a pretty deep one. We're going to talk about an individual who's well known across the world who tragically took his his own life, and it's a it's a real wake up call. And or it's a real wake-up call, and or it is a reminder that Life is precious, that not every, not every tomorrow Is going to include us in it, that there Is going to come a time where the good Lord takes us, takes us home. And so it's very topic, very, very serious. It's very serious, it's a happening, and we just need to work on being kinder to one another. It doesn't mean we have to agree with every person or every topic that every person has. It's not the case. That's not what we're talking about. We're talking about it's okay to have different opinions and we should just accept people for who they are. So the information that's going to be shared here is a combination effort between Sports Unlimited News and the Daily Mail. Uk has a lot of information about this topic, and so we thought it'd be best to just bring all that information and share it and talk about it. And so here we go, and I apologize to the family and anybody else who has been or are aware of this situation. We don't take it lightly when we talk about it, but it is a public safety issue, and so that's why we're talking about it, because one or more of us may actually witness what we're about to share, and so there's all kinds of trauma that comes along with that. And so who are we talking about? We're talking about Robert Enke Again, I hope I said that correctly.

Voices for VoicesⓇ, Justin Alan Hayes:

That is E-N-K-E, and he was a goalkeeper, played for Hanover 96. He earned eight caps for Germany and he was a real standout because of his reflexes, his composure and intelligence and, prior to his death, he was at one time expected to be Germany's first choice keeper or goalie for the 2010 World Cup. But as we progress, nk had battled depression since 2003 and, like a lot of us, whether we know it or not, we try to keep some. Whether we know it or not, we try to keep some things closer to us. We don't want to share it, for, whatever that reason may be, I'm going to be judged or I can't. I'm the man of the house and I'm not able to have emotions or whatever that may be. And so Enki, his wife and only a few close colleagues or associates were really, really so. Enki's wife and associate and colleague were kind of that smaller group that understood Enki's struggles and his public persona, enki's belied, his mental turmoil, and so all these things that we've covered up until now, and we're going to get a little more more clarity as we continue, but as it stands now Enkis more clarity as we continue, but as it stands now.

Voices for VoicesⓇ, Justin Alan Hayes:

Enke's a great football player. He's a great player, is getting a lot of attention because he's good at what he does, and yet we would look at a person like that and say, well, what's the big deal you have? Look at all this money, look at all this fame. I wish I had that money, that kind this money. Look at all this fame. I wish I had that money, that kind of money. I wish I had that fame. I wish people were waiting outside my house to take my photos.

Voices for VoicesⓇ, Justin Alan Hayes:

So these things were going on in Enki's life. And so these things were going on in Enki's life and unfortunately, on November 10th of 2009, so going on 16 years ago from when this occurred, on November 10, 2009, enki died by suicide after stepping in front of a train. You heard me and saw me. He stepped in front of a moving train near Neustadt, rubenburg I pray I'm saying these cities and names correctly. Many apologies if I'm not. I'm trying my best. And so Enke passed away and he was only the age of 32.

Voices for VoicesⓇ, Justin Alan Hayes:

So once this news started to circulate around the football world and across Germany, it really sent shockwaves. Germany, it really sent shockwaves. As we mentioned, everything leading up to Anki tragically passing by suicide, stepping in front of that train, there were just so many demands, so many things that were going on as it related to Yankee and football and life where, you know, in an elite football player, it demands perfection, leaving very little room, if any, for vulnerability, and so I can only imagine it was hard for Enki to share his emotions, share how he's feeling. He thought that if he did disclose his illness to the team, to the club, it might cost him his career and, additionally, an additional thing could also cost him a chance for him and his wife to adopt a second child. And we've talked about stigma for years and yes, this is 2009 that this happened. It's high profile, it's worldwide. I mean, it happened in Western Europe, but it has a national appeal and the stigma around mental illness back then and to a large degree now it's still there. So to see how many people showed up at NK's public memorial at the Hanover's HDI Arena there were 40,000-plus fans that attended this memorial and tributes came in all over the world. His death became a real collective reflection point for the sport, and Germany even postponed one of their scheduled international matches out of respect one of their scheduled international matches out of respect.

Voices for VoicesⓇ, Justin Alan Hayes:

The media's responsibility and this is something that's very interesting to me is that Enki had previously experienced panic attacks. Well, guess who else has I have? I've experienced panic attacks as recently as just a week, week and a half ago. You may have experienced panic attacks. You may have continuous panic attacks. You know what we're talking about. So Enki had previously had these panic attacks and he had harsh treatment by the media during his time and he was with FC Barcelona and Fenner Bocci, and what this really intense scrutiny was really compounding is internal battles, and the media's role in taking that stress to that next level became a focal point of debate. As of now there's a foundation called the Robert N Key Foundation and this was started to raise awareness about mental health and sport to raise awareness about mental health in sport. And so what it does? It funds research and offers support to athletes dealing with depression, and it's been a model for similar initiatives across Europe.

Voices for VoicesⓇ, Justin Alan Hayes:

And then football's slow awakening, since NQDF, clubs have gradually begun integrating mental health resources. The DFB mandated psychological support in youth academies. And still, just incredible, even with that, and yet, only three of 18 clubs had full-time sports psychologists by 2023. This happened 16 years ago and just two years ago, only three out of 18 clubs had a full-time sports psychologist on staff. Absolutely incredible. Since then, there's been a few players, just a few. That well, there's more than a few, but the ones we have listed with this the boards on Limited News and Daily Mail Daily Mail UK article around Enki that there are top players like Andre Shirley, benjamin Pavard and Marco Asensio. Since then, they've shared their own mental health battles and Enki's story has opened a door for others to speak Not just for others to speak, but to speak without shame, something that we try to do here. Voices for Voices and openness has become more common, but there are challenges nevertheless that remain. There's always going to be challenges, with about everything you know as a learning from the tragedy.

Voices for VoicesⓇ, Justin Alan Hayes:

Each year, german clubs commemorate Enke's death as a reminder of mental health importance. His story is taught in coaching courses as a case study, and football has not forgotten and you forgotten, nor can it really forgets what occurred Just the short years of the team. I say, oh, that's 16 years, a long time. But, as we just mentioned, that even at that point there were so in 2023, that there were still, for all these years, so little of those football clubs that have sports psychologists on staff full time, and that's just remarkable to me. I don't know how that's possible. I'm going to continue talking about this.

Voices for VoicesⓇ, Justin Alan Hayes:

We talked about how Robert Enke seemingly had it all the same source as we continue. Had it all, and so the same sources as we continue. He had a beautiful wife, he had the homes, the cars you had, those expensive suits by Hugo Boss, and the honor of playing and goal as a goalie for his national team at the next year's World Cup in South Africa and a term that I haven't heard before. But I think it's fitting that nobody saw the spiritual cancer he was suffering. And so we talk about the cancer of the body and we're able to see on scans and different methods. Spiritual cancer is a good way to put it.

Voices for VoicesⓇ, Justin Alan Hayes:

And we, shortly before 6 pm on Tuesday, that day, the 190 Bundesliga appearances, a 5 million Euro fortune, the black Mercedes, 4x4 and the Porsche added up to nothing. So all these things and stuff added up to nothing. So all these things and stuff added up to nothing. And why is this? Because he parked that Mercedes on the side street of a Hanover suburb. He put the keys in his wallet on the passenger seat, got out. It was raining outside, so he got out in the rain and he walked along a lonely station platform and he hurled himself beneath the screeching iron wheels of the Brahman Hanover 4427 Express train. And the spot was not random, and this is something that's really important. Here, to just 200 yards from where he died, was the grave of his two-year-old daughter, laura, who died on September 17, 2006, during an operation meant to save her life from heart disease. Just heartbreaking, oh. So they adopted a two-month-old girl called Layla earlier in the year, and she's in her pain.

Voices for VoicesⓇ, Justin Alan Hayes:

That spiritual cancer never diminished. At 6.17 pm, having earlier written a suicide note to his wife, teresa, and family, he died alone and tormented In family. He died alone and tormented In the suicide note and he asked for forgiveness for his conscious deception over his plans to kill himself. His widow said at a press conference that he had irrational fears that Layla would be taken away from him. Dressed in black and struggling to hold back tears, teresa said when his depression was acute it was a tough time for us because then he lost all drive, all hope. He wanted to keep that quiet because he didn't want to lose everything, because with hindsight, being what it is, that was crazy. We went through so much together, the times he played an in-symbol, and Barcelona was hard. Then came the death of Lara, but that welded us even more together and then we thought we can face anything with our love, but we couldn't do everything. I tried to be there for him, to say to him that football wasn't everything. I tried to be there for him to say to him that football wasn't everything. There may be beautiful things, but there are many beautiful things in life and that he always wanted to help him get through this.

Voices for VoicesⓇ, Justin Alan Hayes:

Again, as we mentioned, this death of Enkei plunge Germany into mourning. Football Federation called off Saturday's friendly international with Chile because the players were just in so much shock. They had that memorial service set in moral services set in that the players and coaches needed time to process all this, and his coach broke down in tears after adding that NK's depression had gone unnoticed by teammates and officials. That's, unfortunately, what can occur. Care was what Robert Enke needed, and it was in short supply in the environment he inhabited. Besides talking to his wife, he bore his suffering in silence. He did go to therapy. He tried to exercise the demons of guilt, the pain and loss, but no one beyond his close circle was aware of his problem. Now Dr Valentin Markser first treated him in 2003, but even he said I'm still in shock. And he suffered depression and the fear of failure and being in this high pressure live large, get rich and keep smiling world of international football. There was no one to help him, and so that really remains to be seen Whether his legacy will result in a change in the way top sportsmen are handled. Enke wasn't the first, and he won't be the last.

Voices for VoicesⓇ, Justin Alan Hayes:

British football is no stranger to the tragedy of players taking their own lives while depressed. Justin Faschnau, the brother of John and the first open-line gay footballer, was found hanged in May 1998. Dave Clement, the QPR and England defender, poisoned himself in 1982 because he believed his career was finished after breaking a leg. And then there's also still yet. Former Scotland international Healy Gallagher, who played for Newcastle and Chelsea, died by walking in front of a train in June 1957. He was at the age of 54. In October the same year, 25 year old Czech Jan Simak vanished without a trace from Hanover, before emerging a few days later to say he wanted to leave the murky world of football and set up a pub in South Bohemia so that he could no longer take the pressure of being a professional football player.

Voices for VoicesⓇ, Justin Alan Hayes:

Just hours after Enke's death, the German PFA deplored the huge pressures that people like him were placed under. There's a director, ulf Baranowski says there are increasing psychological loads burdened on these players. No one saw it coming and that makes the shock all the worse. Pressure is continuing to build on players and we must take steps to counteract them. More needs to be done. The pressures don't go away. And then the other night after this tragic situation, english PFA chief executive Gordon Taylor said that footballers' mental health was now very much on their agenda. He said clubs have to treat this issue seriously, he said. Then there was Stan Collymore, whose situation was well documented in the past. Mental welfare is every bit as important as physical welfare. They continue to make great use of the sporting chance clinic. They can look at cases of people who have been down the various problematic roads and use their experience to good effect. But there's really no guarantees, as we know. So it's a very powerful story, just some. It was a very powerful story, just very sad. Just sad that this occurred.

Voices for VoicesⓇ, Justin Alan Hayes:

I want to thank the Daily Mail, daily Mail UK and Sports Unlimited News for providing much of the content we used in this episode today. So the few closing thoughts are nobody's perfect. We're all going through something. Be kind to others, talk to somebody. Everybody's life is worth living, and so again, and so again.

Voices for VoicesⓇ, Justin Alan Hayes:

What I would like to say is it's easy to say these things, but it's so much different to actually do them, and that's where we're at. We can talk about ending the stigma sorry, I got these allergies that just pop up whenever we can talk about how we want this stigma to end and all these things, but if we don't take action, then it's a hollow response. I mean, that's the fact of the matter. So if we're going to call ourselves leaders and we're going to call ourselves wanting to help. We've got to do the hard things. We have to actually do them. We have to do something. We can't just sit idly. We can't just put out a PR statement. We can't just put out a hot quote. We have to do something and quote we have to do something and we have to continue to do something. These are not isolated instances. That happened before, and up until and unless we as and up until and unless we as leaders and us as a society, not just in the United States, but across the world, until the actions are done, this will not get solved.

Voices for VoicesⓇ, Justin Alan Hayes:

There's a lot of great organizations, a lot of great people out there, but there's very few that are actually not just talking the talk. They're walking the walk. And I'm going to interject here, I'm going to put a plug for Voices, for Voices in here, and use this example and also, first of all, the fact that we're covering this and we talked through this is monumental, because this is all in print. It wasn't in video form, it was in print, video form, it was in print. And then I want to talk about human trafficking. So many people come up and say and share hey, thank you for bringing this up and we're grateful that you're doing this.

Voices for VoicesⓇ, Justin Alan Hayes:

And then we have others that are just so silent Like you can hear a pin drop. They won't respond, they won't nothing, and I don't know why I don't have time to try to understand why. All our time is limited on Earth. We all know this already. We all know this, and so we're not just talking the talk. We've stepped up. We've stepped up, we've stepped out. We're attacking things head on. Falsehoods are spoken, we're attacking those head on. When people are in situations that we feel are inhumane, we're not just talking about it, we're stepping up and stepping out. And so you're either with us or you're not, and that's okay. That's your decision to make, it's our decision to make, it's our decision to make. But we are not an organization that just sits back idly and puts out a quote here and there and then calls it a day. No, we do quite more than that and then calls it a day. No, we do quite more than that, and we have over 290 episodes To prove that, and like it's too.

Voices for VoicesⓇ, Justin Alan Hayes:

I don't even know it's been two and a half years or just two years, but in a very short amount of time, and I don't care if only one person is watching or listening, or 3 billion people are watching and listening. The goal, in my eyes, is to help at least one person. I know we have help at least one person I know we have. I receive feedback that we have, but that's not enough. We just got to keep going, keep plugging through, keep talking about the hard topics that others don't want to talk about. They just want to push under the rug, and it doesn't fit with whatever being politically correct. I don't even know. All I know is I am so happy that Voices for Voices is here and is an outlet and speaks about the hard topics that others won't, for whatever reason, and so we want to give our condolences Again this is many years later to Mr Enke's family, friends, colleagues, players, coaches, whomever, and we hope that if this sounds like you or somebody you know, let them know that their life matters.

Voices for VoicesⓇ, Justin Alan Hayes:

Let them know that talking to somebody going to therapy doesn't make you weak, it makes you stronger, and then let them know that you support them, their decision making. That's what we can do. I know we can Because we're doing it. I know we can Because we're doing it. I know you can do it too. We all have that innate responsibility as human beings to help others, as basic, as simple as that may be. So let's just continue helping others. There's going to be the naysayers, that's okay. There's always going to be the naysayers. Nobody's going to like 100% of what you do or what I do or what our organization does, and that's okay, as long as you can look yourself in the mirror at the end of the day, we're going to be okay. We're going to be okay. Yeah, we're going to be okay. Yeah, we're going to be okay.

Voices for VoicesⓇ, Justin Alan Hayes:

So please check us out on our other episodes. Please give us a big thumbs up like share, follow, subscribe, comment, all those free things. Those are great, really. Do appreciate that. If you want to volunteer, you can reach out to us. We do have volunteer openings. If you're able to monetarily help out by donating, we are a 501c3 charity. All your donations are federally tax deductible. You can do that, Venmo at Voices4 Voices, that's . Or you can head on over to Voicesfor Voices. org. So that's VoicesforVo ices. org. It takes you right to our homepage and right at the top middle, you can click on Support the show, support the organization and we can get you taken care of that way. So until next time, I'm Justin Alan Hayes, founder of Voices for Voices. Celebrate all of our voices and please be a voice for you or somebody in need. Bye.

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