Olympic medallist Colin Jackson has revealed he suffered from mental health struggles following his retirement from international athletics.
“I struggled when I was about to retire…I was suffering a lot from anxiety attacks,” he told Loughborough University’s new Experts in Health podcast.
“It was the combination of a few things, once you retire from sport, that’s it – you’re done. You don’t go back to the track, you’re not with the same friends you’ve been training with, you’re just so isolated.”
“What am I going to do?”
Jackson, who won silver at the 1988 Olympic Games in Seoul, added: “Also for me, it was ‘what am I going to do?’.
“It was a case of not being confident in the real world. I was confident in the world I’d just come from because I was a champion. But now I had to go into the cauldron with everyone else…it was really difficult to get that balance right.”
The former 110m hurdles champion explained to host Dr Chris McLeod how a close friendship circle and expert medical support helped him navigate tricky waters.
“I was really lucky that I could talk to people who were willing to listen…people can help you grow with confidence and abilities – it takes away that burden of being on your own.
“You must be willing to open up because those people will help you on your journey.
“Once my GP sat down with me and guided me through that transition and got me to believe that I still have something to contribute to the world, then I became alright.”
During the recording, Colin also shares his experience of being gay and the challenges and prejudices he has witnessed first-hand. He also touches upon his current career endeavours including his charity work with the Wings for Life.
