MAN Magazine Winter 2019

SPORT
THE COMMON APPROACH
TO DEPRESSION IS
DRINK AND DRUGS AND
THIS IS WHERE I WANT
TO SPREAD THE WORD
BECAUSE IT’S THE WORST
THING YOU CAN DO
sevenstarmedia.co.uk
While Fury had something approaching
a ‘eureka’ moment that prevented him
taking his own life, his retreats into
substance abuse did not end that day.
Instead, it took another stint of partying
that climaxed in an extraordinary and lifechanging
Halloween 2017.
As with many of the great tales, the
darkest subjects and most painful
moments are laced with hints of humour
– especially when Fury is your story-teller.
He said: “I was at a party weighing
400lb dressed as a skeleton and
thought: ‘These are all young kids
compared to me. Is this what you want
for your life?’ You can only change
your life if you want to change your
life. I went home at 9pm. I got home,
went straight up to a dark room, took
the stupid skeleton suit off and I was
praying and begging God to help me.
“I’d never begged or cried for God to
help me before. I’d never been in this
physical state. My chest was wet with
tears. I knew I couldn’t do it on my
own. I’d tried and I’d ended up back in
the pub. I had almost accepted being
an alcoholic was going to be my fate.
After praying for 10 minutes, I got up
and I felt the weight of the world had
been lifted.
“For the first time in years, I knew I
was going to make a comeback. The
next day, I called up Ben Davison and
we set about losing 160lbs.”
The turnaround is truly one of the
great stories in sport… but as much as
Fury must be bursting with pride at his
performance against Wilder and bursting
with eagerness to regain his world titles,
he insists his true calling is now something
deeper and more profound.
Fury said: “It’s my mission to
help those in need now. I believe
heightening awareness of mental
health problems is what I’ve been put
on this earth to do.
“When I was in Belfast to fight
Francesco Pianeta, I was approached
by a fellow who was on the verge of
committing suicide, he said needed to
speak to me urgently. He had a black
eye and a big bag and I
thought he was going to
try something.
“He said he couldn’t talk
to me in public and that he
needed to speak to me on
his own. I said: ‘No worries.
Let’s go round here. I need
to speak to you anyway.’
“He left happy and contented after
a little 20 minute conversation. It
makes me feel great. It’s not that I
want a pat on the back or anything
but I know I can help people with
my experiences. If I can come back,
anyone can.”
If any confirmation were needed as to the
trade-off between traditional stoicism
and acceptance of genuine mental health
problems, it’s probably best to take it
from a 6’9 world heavyweight boxing
champion.
Glory comes in many forms. Fury has
already inspired so many to accept and
address the problems in their head. He
should now be applauded for his bravery
as a man as well as a fighter.
MAN MAGAZINE WINTER 2019
47