Fury: I’m living proof anyone can come back from the brink

In an interview with BBC sport, former heavyweight champion Tyson Fury discusses how his life unraveled, going from winning multiple world titles to binge drinking, snorting cocaine, and wishing he would never wake up again.

Fury, a manic depressive, says that when he endured his struggles the only way he knew how to cope was to get wasted, drinking himself into a stupor. There was no one thing Fury could put his finger on which made him feel down and out, knowing he was young, rich, and famous, but he still felt depressed all the same.

“I woke up every day wishing I would not wake up any more,” Fury told BBC Sport. “But I am living proof anyone can come back from the brink.”

During that dark period Fury says he fell out of love with boxing, but now that he has regained his passion he hopes to inspire others who deal with the same demons. Fury says that although those who are suffering may believe every day will be a gloomy one, things can get better — there’s still hope.

In fact Fury says that being back in the ring again has helped him deal with his depression, as well as having both short and long term goals that give him something to aspire to. “A structured routine in life is key,” says Fury.

And with aims to recapture heavyweight glory, the 29-year-old fighter has both the time and a lot of great fights to look forward to in the future. Fury starts the comeback trail this weekend against Sefer Seferi, which will be his first fight since November 2015.