Olympic star tells how Prince Harry got him through ‘dark, dark times’ after retirement
FORMER world champion 400 metre runner Iwan Thomas has told how Prince Harry helped him through mental health problems when he retired.
The Olympic star was one of Britain’s top athletes, winning 11 major medals, including seven golds, but when he hung up his running shoes he began to suffer serious depression.
The 42-year-old said he “lost his identity” and felt unable to open up to his friends, who treated him “like a hero”. The only person to help him get through it was Prince Harry.
“It was weird – there I was talking to Harry, telling him stuff I’d never spoken about to anyone before,” he said.
“I just kept on telling him about the dark points in my life. Honestly, I’d never spoken about it, not like that, until I met Prince Harry.”
The pair had met at an event held at St James’s Palace in the summer to promote the Heads Together charity, which was formed by Harry with the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge to bring together leading mental health charities.
Thomas, who is now an advocate for the charity, explained how his depression began after his glittering career ended in 2006.
“The thing I had been striving to be all my life was no longer there. The thing is, when it’s happening to you, you think you’re the only one. I didn’t talk about it for way too long. I just got on with it,” he said. “I look back and think I went through some dark, dark times. I should have sought help. But I didn’t because I thought it was weak to admit to a problem.”
Thomas is now urging people suffering to open up and talk about it.
He added: “You’ll find it really helps. I know because I’ve finally done it. The weird thing for me was I happened to admit to it to Prince Harry.”
The Prince has previously spoken of his regret about not speaking about the death of his mother earlier. Thomas added: “Harry’s brilliant selling point is that, yes he’s this huge figure, but he’s very approachable.
“If he can talk about mental health issues, hopefully it means everyone can. For him to come out and say he finds things difficult occasionally, that’s massive. It makes you realise you aren’t alone. It can and does happen to anyone, from princes to park keepers.”