Boonen struggled with mental health issues after retirement: 'I lived for 17 years in a world that isn't real'

Boonen was always in the limelight

Boonen was often the center of attention. Not only because of his performances: the Belgian tested positive for cocaine twice, and his driver’s license was revoked three times for speeding. Furthermore, he was under the influence. In his first cocaine case, it was decided not to impose further punishment due to the negative media attention.

Of course, there was a lot—a great deal—of attention focused on the man from Mol. Still, he thoroughly enjoyed his career. And when he retired, he suddenly didn’t know what to do next. “For 16 or 17 years, I lived in a world that isn’t real, but where you still give your all and do everything for it,” he said on the talk show Happy Hour. “I had to take some time to recover from that.”

Because life as a pro is strange, and it changes a person. “Cycling had turned me into someone I wasn’t and didn’t want to be. It’s such an extreme life of highs and lows. In the world of cycling, everything is done for you, and suddenly you become a hero to a lot of people. I was always able to keep that in perspective, but it still left some scars that I had to work through.”

And that’s exactly what he did. Boonen decided to seek professional help for his struggles. That ultimately gave him some breathing room. “I went about 25 to 30 times for sessions that lasted 1 to 2 hours each. Eventually, you do see results. It really helps, and I can recommend it to everyone.”

That’s how Boonen, who recently became the Belgian rally racing champion, has been able to find peace in his life again. “Am I Boonen 2.0 now? No, but it has allowed me to come to terms with everything I hadn’t yet processed. I was already a calm person, but now I’m even calmer.”