What It Took to Survive 10 Ironmans in 10 Days | Fergus Crawley

"I had to have a punch in the face from the universe to recalibrate on how I interact with emotions."

Three concussions ended Fergus Crawley's rugby career. Powerlifting filled the void - until burnout did too. In 2016, he attempted to take his own life, and told no one for eighteen months.

This week on The Runna Podcast, Fergus joins Anya to talk about becoming a hybrid athlete and what it took to survive Project TENacity: 10 Ironman-distance triathlons in 10 days, across 10 cities, on the 10-year anniversary of his suicide attempt.

It's a conversation about vulnerability, masculinity, and what it actually takes to rebuild a life.

In this episode, you'll learn:
🏉 From Rugby to Rock Bottom: Losing Identity and Facing a Mental Health Crisis.
🧠 Rock Bottom & Recovery: What pulled him back?
💪 5 Reasons Endurance Training Supports Mental Health
🌍 Project TENacity: 10 Ironman-distance Triathlons in 10 days, in 10 UK cities, for a World Record
🚴 Day 8 in Cardiff: The Ironman Breaking Point He Thought Would End It All

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Please note this episode contains references to suicide and mental health. If you or someone you know is struggling, please reach out to a healthcare professional for support.

⏱️ Timestamps:
0:00 Intro
1:04 Who is Fergus Crawley?
1:36 Growing up in a sporting household
5:17 Rugby, three concussions in four weeks, and forced retirement
7:23 Filling the void: becoming "an enjoyer of fitness"
15:06 Chasing balance while burning out
16:15 May 2016: depression and his suicide attempt
18:42 Eighteen months of telling no one
20:37 2018's warning signs, and his first Movember challenge
22:14 Tearing his MCL live on stream, and raising £25k in year one
28:55 Why endurance training helps mental health
33:45 Project TENacity: 10 Ironman-distance triathlons, 10 days, 10 cities
42:23 Why he kept the Guinness World Record quiet until it was done
44:50 Day 8, Cardiff: his lowest point
48:32 Day 9, Bristol: doing the maths to avoid timing out
55:05 Day 10, London: finishing where it all began
59:04 This or That
1:01:56 Dream race