Iwan Thomas is opening up about his mental health in his new autobiography (Image: Tony Blake) I made a living out of being physically big, strong and mentally tough,” says Olympian Iwan Thomas. “But in reality I was falling apart inside. I couldn’t see a way out of theself-hatred and self-loathing.
” In 1997, at just 23, Welsh sprinter Iwan broke the UK 400m record with a time of 44.36 seconds, remaining unbeaten until 2022. He had the world at his feet but a series of setbacks and injuries dogged his career and led him to dark places.
Now an advocate for talking openly about mental health, he wants to help others. Iwan, 50, says: “Breaking that record, everything happened really quickly for me but also everything was taken away quickly. All sorts were coming my way, a Madame Tussauds’ waxwork, MBE, accolades left right and centre.
I thought, ‘This is cool, I’ll have years left in me yet’. “The reality was that that was as good as it was ever going to get. It then started to unravel and injuries set in.
I was at a low place, it was horrible. I felt if I suddenly spoke out that I was struggling it would be, ‘Your rivals are now going to think you are not as tough as you say you are and won’t fear you on the track’. I couldn’t really show that side of me, the soft side.
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