EXCLUSIVE: Jonathan Rea backs Downtown Cool FM's mental health campaign
'Invest in Life' petition gets support from most successful rider ever
Last updated 10th Oct 2018
Four time World Superbike Champion Jonathan Rea has endorsed Downtown Cool FM's 'Invest in Life' campaign.
The County Antrim man spoke to us as he launches his new autobiography Dream, Believe, Achieve.
Jonathan bagged a record breaking fourth straight World Superbike title at Magny-Cours recently, surpassing English rider Carl Fogarty's record.
To mark World Mental Health day, the most successful rider in World Superbike history, opened up to Downtown Cool FM about personal setbacks.
Jonathan suffered a broken femur in an accident when he was just 17 and feared his career was over:
"I remember sitting in the waiting room that day with my performance manager Darren at the time.
"We were expecting some great news but after months and months of healing on my leg, there was no sign of growth and he told me that if I ever crashed again my leg wouldn't be strong enough and that 'you really need to stop racing.'
The 31-year-old said it was a difficult time in his life:
"There was a time during that period that I was really down and...it's really hard to ever feel like I was depressed, I'm not sure.
"Mentally I wasn't in a great place to be honest because all I ever wanted to do as a child was to be a motorbike rider.
"I was trying to work a job with my uncle which I was having to take too much time off to go racing, I wasn't getting paid to go racing and then now I had this injury that I was maybe never going to come back from."
Despite the injury, Jonathan said he was determined to build up mental resilience:
"There was a way, we weren't going to let this doctor end my dream.
"Had I have listened to him, my life would've been very different so at least I had some kind of drive to prove him wrong."
Reflecting on his career in his new book, Jonathan said the setback was character building.
He told us it is hard to imagine what path his life may have taken had he not recovered:
"It's difficult because of what I've been through in the past but all them experiences make you stronger as a person.
"I mean having doctors tell you you'll never race again to being rejected by teams or opportunities not going your way, kind of moulds you into the person you are.
"I just face things now with a lot more of a 'que sera sera' attitude."
Jonathan is at the pinnacle of his career after making history in France last month but says he worried he would struggle to exceed last year's success:
"This year I had a lot of fear that last year might be my last ever championship.
"I had a great homecoming event, I had three times world champion never been done before in successions and then at the end of the season being runner up in Sports Personality of the Year.
"It was almost like I could full stop and I had surpassed everything I was ever meant to do so I was really motivated by the fear of losing."
The 31-year-old got on board with our 'Invest in Life' campaign to help raise awareness of mental health problems in Northern Ireland.
In January we launched a crusade calling for crisis hubs to be opened for people in distress.
The petition gathered over 30,000 signatures in under a month and now Jonathan has thrown his backing behind it.
He told us he believes it may save lives:
"A crisis centre would be a great idea, building awareness about that, that people knew where to go when they needed help the most would for sure help."
You can sign the petition here.
Jonathan who spent time living in the Isle of Man with his family but has now moved back to Northern Ireland permanently, says suicide rates here are concerning:
"It hasn't touched me personally, personally but I know of some friends that have struggled and you'd never think.
"It's a really hard subject to talk about but you can't improve your state if you don't talk about it, you can be suffering in silence for years and years, it's an invisible illness."
He had a message for anyone in distress who needs help and support:
"Speak out, it's 2018, it's recognised that this is an issue, there's help out there.
"There's so many success stories of people turning their life around, use that support network."
If you or someone you know is in distress or despair call the free-phone 24/7 crisis telephone and counselling service Lifeline on 0808 808 8000.
You can also access help with depression and other mental health issues through AWARE and Action Mental Health