The Rich Roll Podcast

Even in your darkest moments, there exists the potential for redemption.

Here to illuminate this important truth is British cycling legend Mark Cavendish, the greatest sprinter in the history of the sport who has made one of the most astonishing comebacks I have ever witnessed.

Over the course of his storied career, Mark has taken home 55 Grand Tour stage victories, 162 professional victories, and has won an astonishing 34 stages of the Tour de France, tying a record set almost 50 years ago by Eddy Merckx.

At the pinnacle of his career, Mark began to battle seemingly insurmountable health obstacles—disordered eating, depression, and Epstein-Barr virus diagnosis—that took him out of the peloton for nearly five years. But instead of ending his career, Mark fought back. In an extraordinary comeback Tour in 2021, Mark won four stages and the green jersey nearly a decade after he had last won it—a meteoric rise, fall, and resurrection beautifully portrayed in the recent Netflix documentary, Mark Cavendish: Never Enough.

My hope is that Mark’s story serves as a powerful reminder that taking responsibility for your mental health is crucial, and that no matter how far you’ve fallen, there is always room for redemption.

Note: Today we discuss suicidal thoughts and ideation. If that subject is too confronting, perhaps skip this episode.If you are struggling, please raise your hand and reach out for help. You can call SAMHSA’s National Helpline at 1-800-662-HELP and if you are experiencing suicidal ideation, know you’re not alone. I encourage you to call the Suicide Prevention Hotline at 1(800) 273-TALK.

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Peace + Plants,

Rich