Miscellaneous
Welcome to a conversation with truthteller, adventure seeker, ultra runner, Ironman athlete and Dad Freddie Bennett. We got together for this chat in the middle of the COVID-19 crisis. A time when Freddie was home teaching his kids, working and supporting his wife (a doctor). So thank you Freddie and family for giving up 90 minutes. This is a conversation about what can take root in the mind as a result of stress as a child and the legacy it can leave inside as an adult. Freddie was born with severe asthma and regularly rushed to intensive care. He was protected in a bubble and felt apart from his classmates. At home, life was often fraught with conflict, heavy drinking, discontent and a sense of instability; Freddie often felt the storm cloud of arguments brewing, before chaos ensued. Here, he openly shares a frank insight into his younger years, and how the legacy of stress tracked into his early career, where he sought stability and money to escape the chaos of childhood. But through his years in management consulting he was gripped by imposter syndrome, feeling constantly like a fish out of water, gasping for breath and belonging. He realised he had one talent – drinking. Freddie doused his insecurities in alcohol, drinking to feel part of the team. He became known as a legend and felt a belonging. Yet internally, “fun time Freddie” became crippled with anxiety and paranoia, which he buried deep within himself. A pattern of life that led to dates with deep depression and contemplation of suicide. Freddie also tells us about the reality of his life in lockdown; what his rock bottoms looked like; the difficulties of asking for mental health help the second, third and fourth time round; the transformation in his life from giving up alcohol; and his 2021 endurance plans. Thank you Freddie for teaching us about your life.