Iwan Thomas 'loved every minute' of Strictly Come Dancing
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Iwan Thomas, 48, has revisited the time he met Prince Harry at an event for the Royal Family’s Heads Together campaign back in 2016. Speaking exclusively with Express.co.uk, the Olympian explained how his new partnership with sports equipment company ASICS is linked to the advice he received from the Duke of Sussex.
In his partnership with ASICS, Iwan aims to inspire people to exercise for the mind and mental health.
Speaking about his own mental health struggles throughout the years, Iwan said he once opened up to Prince Harry during a barbecue hosted by Heads Together.
Iwan explained how, despite his royal status, Harry candidly admitted to have faced some hurdles too.
He said: “On that day at a barbecue, he said, you know, ‘Obviously, I’ve struggled myself as well’, because, you know, you got to remember when Prince Diana died – his mother died – [Prince William and Prince Harry] were both really young boys.
“So, it must be very hard for them being in the spotlight growing up, having no privacy at all, you know… The whole world is watching you.
“So, at the end of day, you have to remember people like Prince Harry are normal people as well.
“And yes, they do have a huge status, and life is very different for them. But it doesn’t really matter whether you’re a member of the royal family or you drive a white, a white van, for a living or whatever.
“It doesn’t matter, I think depression or anxiety or stress, if it’s going to get you, it’s going to get you and it doesn’t care who you are, or how many zeros you’ve got in your bank.”
Iwan went on to explain that the event was an opportunity for people from different walks of life to discuss the importance of mental health.
The sportsman said: “So, it was just nice of him to invite me to that barbecue, and for him to open up and allow us to talk as well, because that’s what he did.
“It was a chance for us all to get together and talk about any issues we might have.”
The dad-of-two admitted that he believed mental health issues could rise as currently “the world is kind of a tough place”, but highlighted the importance of reaching out for help.
“So I think, unfortunately, this day and age, the amount of stress that is put on everybody, you know, there’s a lot of worries about health, finances… the world is kind of a tough place at the moment.
“And I think, unfortunately, mental health issues are going to just keep rising and keep coming up. But I think the main thing is people do talk about it, and it’s okay to talk about it.”
Elsewhere during the candid chat, Iwan said he was curious to find out the reason why exercising helps him feel better.
That’s why he decided to take part in ASICS’s study and finally understand the science behind his wellbeing when working out.
He said: “I think for me, the results of the campaign didn’t really shock me, because I knew, for me personally, whenever I’m feeling slightly low, or life seems to be getting on top of me, my happy place is to train, going for a run, or going to the gym.
“So I was really interested in taking part in this study to find out if there was any science behind that, because I knew myself, my mindset, and my mood would change if I wasn’t able to exercise.
“But I often wondered, is that just me or is there actually science behind it? So it was really interesting to do the study, to sort of, you know, train, then be forced not to train for a week and then go back to it.”
Iwan concluded that his “overwhelming” message for others looking to feel better was that “exercise clearly is good for you”.
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