The Unseen Burdens of Endurance Athletes
When I started recording The Legend of the Death Race podcast, I expected to hear incredible stories of resilience, endurance, and grit. What I didn’t expect was the common thread running through so many conversations—unresolved trauma. Again and again, I heard fellow Death Racers talk about using the race as a way to fight their demons. Whether it was past abuse, loss, addiction, or other deeply personal struggles, many of us were drawn to these extreme challenges not just to test our physical limits, but to escape or process something much deeper.
Pushing ourselves through brutal physical feats can be cathartic. The pain, exhaustion, and triumph of finishing seem to offer a kind of temporary release. But what I’ve learned—through my own journey and the stories of others—is that the real work, the real healing, doesn’t happen on the racecourse. It happens in therapy.
My Own Journey with EMDR Therapy
For years, I carried the weight of being raped when I was 21. It was something I didn’t fully process, something that sat in the background of my life, influencing me in ways I didn’t always recognize. Like many endurance athletes, I turned to extreme challenges as a form of coping, hoping that the struggle of a race might somehow erase or numb the pain I carried.
It wasn’t until I sought Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) therapy that I truly began to heal. EMDR helped me process the trauma in a way that no race ever could. It allowed me to finally work through the emotions and memories that had been holding me back. Talking about this experience on my podcast was one of the most impactful moments for me—because it showed me just how many others had been silently carrying their own burdens.
Why Therapy is Just as Important as Training
Endurance athletes understand the importance of structured training, proper nutrition, and rest. We know that our bodies need recovery, that pushing too hard without proper care leads to breakdown. And yet, when it comes to mental health, many of us neglect the same principles.
Healing from trauma, stress, or mental health struggles isn’t about being strong enough to ignore it—it’s about being strong enough to face it. Therapy, just like training, provides the tools we need to work through challenges in a structured, effective way. Whether it’s EMDR, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), group therapy, or another approach, talking to a professional can help in ways that no amount of suffering through a race ever will.
Normalizing Therapy: A Call to Action
Seeking therapy doesn’t mean you’re weak—it means you’re ready to truly heal. Just as we encourage each other on the racecourse, we need to support one another in seeking the help we need off of it.
If you’ve ever used physical challenges to cope with emotional pain, consider taking the next step. Therapy isn’t just for those in crisis; it’s for anyone who wants to better understand themselves, process their experiences, and move forward in a healthier way.
If you’re not sure where to start, here are a few resources:
You wouldn’t train for a race without the right gear, preparation, and recovery plan—so why approach mental health any differently? Therapy isn’t the end of the race; it’s the real finish line, the one that truly matters.
It’s okay to seek help. It’s okay to talk about it. And it’s okay to heal.
