8 sportspersons who dealt with mental illness

#6 Graeme Obree

Obree, pictured in 2013, still cycles

Known as the Flying Scotsman, Graeme Obree is one of cycling’s record-breakers, and known for building his own bike from washing machine parts.

Obree did not have a very long career, but broke the world hour record twice – the first time in 1993, a record of 51.596 kilometres. He beat the record of cyclist Francesco Moser – 51.151 kilometres – by 445 metres.

Although he went on to lose the record a week later, he regained it a year later in 1994, this time riding 52.713km. His record was broken at the end of that year by the Spanish Tour de France winner Miguel Indurain.

Obree has attempted suicide several times, the first of which was in his teens. He was saved then by his father, who had returned home early from work. The second attempt came in 1994, when Obree’s brother died in a car crash.

Though he has dealt with depression since his teens, the severity had intensified. Diagnosed with bipolar disorder two years prior, Obree was found unconscious on a farm in England some distance from his home by a farmhand, having tried to hang himself.

Now divorced from his wife, Obree came out as gay in 2011 and said that being in the closet and his inability to come to terms with his homosexuality had also been a contributor to his prior suicide attempts.

He continues to deal with his depression, and still cycles.