Men's Health Week encourages men and boys everywhere to seek help to address any health concerns they may be experiencing. It aims to heighten the awareness of health problems and encourage early detection and treatment, whether that problem relates to something physical or psychological. Ribble brand ambassador Darren Hardy has advocated for various charities for several years. In that time, he's helped raise tens of thousands of pounds for these worthy causes. So, who else could be better qualified to speak on this issue than a man whose battle back from PTSD saw him compete in the Warrior Games and complete some jaw-dropping feats of endurance?
Darren, you have such a remarkable and inspiring story. Please can you share your journey and experiences from Army officer to Wellbeing Ambassador and Extreme Endurance Athlete?
So, my story started with a medical discharge from Her Majesty's Forces in 2017. Afterwards, I suffered a little with finding my purpose, which largely stemmed from the PTSD that I had been discharged with. So, I decided to Google the world's toughest endurance event, which led me to a 300-mile self-sufficient race in the Arctic. And that was that. My passion for endurance events was born from there, and it kept growing until it became too many events to even talk about. My experiences in the military and outside have been fantastic. However, I would probably argue that I've been more successful on the outside due to the amount of money raised for charity while inspiring others to change their current life path.
You've cited that sport saved your life and you have achieved some astonishing sporting achievements, from gold-winning records at the Warrior Games through to undertaking some extreme endurance challenges - talk us through some of your personal highlights and do your 100m and 200m sprint records remain unchallenged?
To be honest, I really don't regard these as achievements. I do all of this because I always feel there's more left in the tank or that I could have done better. However, some things stand out, like the 100m and 200m sprints in Colorado, where I won the gold medal and set the games records. The rest, for me, are personal achievements, the money raised for charity, and the differences that I have been able to make in other people's lives.
Using your profile, platforms, and superhuman performances, you have undertaken various challenges to raise vast amounts of money and awareness for various charities and causes. What have been some of the most challenging, and how do you continue to stay so positive and motivated?
Every single one of these has been challenging because I've always picked the most impossible or what people perceived as impossible and just done it. The reason for this approach is that if I choose something totally out there, off-the-scale bonkers, it will attract more attention and hopefully raise more money. But to answer the question about staying positive and motivated, it's remembering the why. Why do I do this? Why am I putting myself through this much pain? And then, for me, it's pretty simple: the why is because I'm making a difference. The more money I raise, the more motivated I become to do more.
Your latest challenge - tell us what you are undertaking and/or considering and why?
So, my latest challenge will make me the first person in the world to do a full Ironman distance triathlon in the Arctic. It will be branded as the world's most northerly triathlon. As you can imagine it's pretty difficult to train in UK conditions in preparation for cycling in snow. The run I can practice by running on sand and for the swim I will be swimming in three degrees but for longer periods to try and imitate the cold. The aforementioned bike is by far my biggest challenge. So, I've been using a Ribble gravel bike in the highest gear possible and cycling around a local training area that's extremely stony, rocky, and sandy. Doing hill repetitions to keep the leg cadence going in order to best replicate cycling on snow.
How do you train and prepare for your extreme endurance challenges?
Historically, my training and preparation have been minimal. I work full-time and am a single parent for half the week. It isn't easy to fit in the level of training and time commitment required for these endurance events. However, the Arctic challenge is a different story. I know I have to train specifically for this, mainly to prevent injury. So, a lot of my training isn't what you would expect of a long distance athlete, it's more about injury prevention and successfully completing the event. Currently, I do between five and eight, maybe as many as nine training sessions per week.
Above Images: Darren completes one of his fund-raising endurance challenges, riding a Ribble Endurance SL Disc amid the rather unique surroundings of the London Eye.
You certainly pack a lot into your day - What does a typical day for Darren look like?
A typical day starts early in order for me to pack in my training sessions. I have to get up early, so maybe around 0500 when I will do my CV (cardio) and strength session before I start work at 0830. When I don't have my kids at the weekends, I tend to do a more extended CV session to keep the endurance, the lungs, the heart and everything in good working order for when it's most needed, LOL. Alongside this, I find the nutrition element hardest to perfect, packing in as much food as possible to fuel my body, and I hit my macros, protein, carbohydrates, and fats. But I have an excellent trainer, currently John at Physique Architect, who looks after me and makes sure I hit my targets.
What you would advise people that say they simply can't find or have the time to do the things they want to do?
When people tell me this sort of thing, I look at them and gauge where they're coming from. I hear it all the time. It's the biggest excuse that people give. However, even the busiest people in the city work maybe twelve hours, including their commute. They don't sleep twelve hours, more like six to seven hours. Even allowing a couple of hours for family time, there's still ample time to train. What I advise people to do is turn their 24-hour clock dial to the left and go to bed earlier. There are numerous benefits from this. Namely, you don't binge on Netflix and eat junk food all night, and you get up earlier and dedicate that one hour to yourself. Even if you're a single parent and you can't get out to the gym or go for a run, you can find a free workout on YouTube and do it in the comfort of your own home. Or, you could let me train you and hold you accountable using an app I've developed to overcome this.
Men are statistically three times more likely to die by suicide than women. Yet, many men feel they can't talk to other people about how they are feeling - Talking saves lives, so what advice would you give anyone who is finding it extremely difficult to open up and communicate?
This statistic is truly shocking but perhaps not that surprising. Coming from a military and alpha male background, as well as being a rugby player, it's simply not in my DNA to speak out because I am seen as weak if I do. One of my most significant missions is to eradicate this theory and speak out for men everywhere. It has become more apparent to me that I have friends who also have PTSD, and we chat openly about this. One problem I faced was that I was constantly worried about burdening others with my issues. But this isn't the case. Once you speak to somebody about your situation, you automatically shift that load off yourself, and it's up to the other person to do whatever they want with that information. Therefore, if you think this is a blocker for you, make sure you speak to the right person. If you find yourself struggling, why not reach out to someone like Darren who understands the burden and can handle it.
Do you have any simple hacks or advise that anyone can embrace to help them with their wellbeing and mental health?
Yes! Stop drinking alcohol or cut down on the amount that you drink at the very least. Try to use your phone less. And prioritise your time by journaling every single day. We are creatures of habit, so make sure your morning routine is the most important thing you do every single day. As soon as you mess up this routine the whole day will go to pieces. The world is forever changing, so you must adapt and overcome your environment.
If you have one message for anyone out there struggling - what would it be?
We use a slogan in the UK: 'It's OK not to be OK'. However, I'm afraid I have to disagree with this entirely because it's not OK not to be OK. We must shift this mentality and fix the problem. I created and use a model called ROAR(R). Recognise the problem. Own the problem. Action (do something about it). Results (you will see results). If you don't see any results, the remaining (R) is for Revisit. You must go back to the start, make sure you have recognised and identified the actual crux of the problem and that you must own it. Or you may have recognised it, but you haven't owned it. Or finally, you may have recognised it, you may have owned it, but you haven't taken the appropriate and correct action.
Image: There cannot be many people that can claim to have ridden a turbo trainer in the London Eye yet Darren is that rarest of men.
