Johnny Murtagh is one of the most famous jockeys and horse trainers in recent years and who revealed in a documentary series that he suffered from alcoholism and even thought about taking his own life in the face of severe depression.
“I’m an alcoholic,” says Murtagh, of 51 years old, who has been one of the protagonists of the documentary that was recorded in the last three years on ITV in Ireland, the country where the famous rider was born.
In his prime, in 2002, Murtagh claimed that after winning the Epson Derby and after winning the Arc de Triomphe Grand Prix, the European rider began to fall into alcoholism.
In the audiovisual documentary, Murtagh confessed that he was close to committing suicide in Dubai, and the one who saved him was his trainer John Sadler h until I can tell his family to take care of him and avoid a tragedy.
“I looked out onto the balcony… I was ready to jump in and finish everything ”, explains the five-time winner of the Irish flat racing Champion Jockey’. “It’s still heartbreaking when you think about how close he was,” said the now 51-year-old coach.
“The signs were probably there. Drinking a bottle of wine alone with all those bad thoughts in your head”, describes Johnny Murtagh, who managed to hide his alcoholism for more than years before almost losing his life.
“I woke up and felt useless. I thought, “fuck, they’d be better off without me”. I haven’t had a drink in 20 years since then”, relates the jockey and Irish coach.
Johnny Murtagh now believes that his story can help other people who are under alcoholism, drugs or some problem, to help them and stop hitting rock bottom. That they talk to someone and that there is always a second chance.
“This is the story of my life and I hope it can help someone in some way if they feel the pinch and can open up.”
“People say you have to bottom. But I tell people to get their asses up: you don’t have to wait until it’s that low. If you think you’re heading there, talk to someone”, recommended the jockey.
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