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Even in your darkest moments, the potential for redemption lays in wait.
Mark Cavendish is a living illumination of this truth—a man who bounced back from career-ending setbacks and a protracted battle with mental health to become the greatest sprinter in cycling history.
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 previously thought impossible-to-match record set almost 50 years ago by Eddy Merckx.
At the pinnacle of his career, Mark suffered a debilitating crash, began to battle seemingly insurmountable health obstacles—a debilitating crash, disordered eating, depression, and Epstein-Barr—that took him out of elite performance contention for nearly five years.
But instead of ending his career, Mark fought back. In an extraordinary comeback Tour de France 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.
“Negativity drags you down—it’s a massive weight lifted if you can overcome it.”
– MARK CAVENDISH
This is a powerful and revealing conversation about grit, commitment, mental health, and the hard-wrought journey to success.
In addition to discussing his new Netflix documentary, we recount the highs and lows of Mark’s incredible career, his battle with mental health, and his unique relationship with cognitive performance strategist Dr. David Spindler.
Mark also shares his new relationship with goals, and how he manages the pressure to eclipse Eddie Merckx’s historic record by winning his 35th stage at the 2024 Tour de France, where he will compete against riders nearly half his age.
I found Mark to be humble and grateful—a gentle champion with a firm grasp on what is truly important and why. 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 hope to build a better future for yourself and others.
The visually inclined can watch this one on YouTube and Spotify. As always, the audio version streams wild and free on Apple Podcasts and wherever you enjoy your podcast content.
Note: Today we discuss mental health issues some might find confronting. 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.
Final Note: If you dig this conversation, look out for my upcoming podcast with the afore-mentioned neuroscientist and cognitive performance strategist Dr. David Spindler, which will be released in the not-so-distant future.
Enjoy!
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- Connect with Mark: Website | Instagram | X
- Netflix: Mark Cavendish: Never Enough
- BBC: Mark Cavendish robbery: Third conviction over raid at cyclist’s home
- Velo: Inside Astana-Qazaqstan’s Plan to Make Tour de France History With Mark Cavendish
- Bicycling: Mark Cavendish Is Putting the Finishing Touches on Postponing His Retirement
- The Guardian: ‘I just love riding my bike’: Mark Cavendish announces he will race on
- CyclingNews: Self-belief key to success for Mark Cavendish, says former teammate Adam Hansen
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Thank The Team: I do not do this alone. Send your love to Jason Camiolo for audio engineering, production, show notes and interstitial music; with additional audio engineering by Cale Curtis and additional music by Moby; Blake Curtis & Dan Drake for video, & editing; graphics by Jessica Miranda & Daniel Solis; portraits by Davy Greenberg, Grayson Wilder & Gizelle Peters; video clips for social media are created by AJ Akpodiete; copywriting by Georgia Whaley; and theme music by Tyler Piatt, Trapper Piatt & Hari Mathis.
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