MENTAL BATTLES
PARALYMPIAN Nic Beveridge questioned his purpose in life and battled with grief when the 2020 Tokyo Games were postponed.
The Gold Coast-born paratriathlete has opened up about the mental struggles he faced in the wake of the decision and how he overcame the demons to position himself for a launch at the Games in 2021.
It’s the second time in Beveridge’s life the reset button has been pressed and he has been left to pick up the pieces.
The 34-year-old woke up at the age of 17 paralysed from the chest down.
He was later diagnosed with transverse myelitis, a neurological disorder causing inflammation to his spinal cord.
It led to a struggle with mental health then and ultimately to the sport of triathlon before the Games disruption this year forced him into a similar situation.
“When something that is such a big part of your life experiences a significant change there are certain things you are forced to address,” he said.
“One of those for me was my purpose in life. At 17, I had a good idea of who I thought I was and then suddenly I had to start a different life because of a disability.
“Basically, the reset button was pressed and I was starting a new life but with the mind of a 17-year-old.
“It was really difficult. I suddenly realised that I didn’t know who I was anymore and I didn’t really feel like I knew what I was passionate about or had found purpose.
“It took me a while to find my way into triathlon and Paralympic triathlon in particular.
“From that it brought purpose to my life at a time where I really didn’t feel like I had any. With the lockdown and the Games being postponed I experienced a small scale of grief in a way.
“I had to question the purpose I got from that. Having gone through that process earlier in my second life, I was able to apply the same strategies to lean into the adaptation process and accept reality and move forward from it.”