What if your comeback is costing you more than it’s giving you?

Ever tried to hold it all together, even when everything felt like it was falling apart?

Not just in sport, but in life.

Maybe it was after a layoff, a breakup, or a season of burnout. Outwardly, you were still ticking the boxes, showing up, playing your role. But inside, it felt like you were barely holding on.

Most people won’t see that. Especially if you’re good at wearing the mask.

If that hits close to home, keep reading.

Because whether you’re transitioning out of sport or shifting careers entirely, there’s a common trap we fall into: the belief that we must bounce back the way we used to be.

That’s where the real damage starts.

Why do we think we have to come back the same?

When I spoke to Matty Lloyd, Olympian, Giro d’Italia mountain jersey winner, his story was about what happens in the world beyond the podiums.

Matty opened up about:

• the pressure to perform through injury and the heavy cost of hiding the pain,

• the illusion of “coping” and how it delayed his healing,

• and how he’s now redefining success, one grounded step at a time.

  
  

“I wasn’t dealing with it at all. But I was so good at pretending I was, I convinced everyone else too,” he said.

You ever been there? I was, when I went to Halifax Town after finishing up at Huddersfield Town.

You tell yourself you’re fine. You tell others you’re fine. You try to replicate the routines, the mindset, the version of you that used to win.

But your body says no.

Your energy says no.

Your identity starts to crack under the weight of that performance but we continue to push, right?

What’s really at stake when we hide behind resilience?

Matty was injured. First it was a shoulder. Then it was his back. Then his confidence. But instead of pausing, asking for help, or stepping off the bike, he trained harder.

Because that’s what high performers do, right?

You fight. You grind. You don’t stop.

But what he realised too late was that the shield he used to protect himself from pain became the very thing that kept him in it.

That’s the danger in transition. Especially for athletes. You’ve built a whole life on pushing through. But when your identity is tied to your output, you don’t just lose form, you lose yourself.

So what does real recovery look like?

Matty didn’t find peace by chasing the next win. In fact, it was only after his final comeback attempt ended in a traumatic hit-and-run that he truly began again.

He couldn’t perform. He could barely survive.

That’s when everything got quiet.

How did he describe to stop performing and start healing?

If you’re in a season of transition whether you’re retiring from sport or trying to find your place after a big shift, start here:

1. Tell the truth about where you’re at.

Not the PR version. The real one. You don’t have to be in crisis to be allowed to ask for help. And you don’t have to be strong all the time to be respected.

2. Let go of the old blueprint.

You’re not here to replicate who you were. That version of you had its time. Your next chapter will require different tools and a new playbook.

3. Redefine your finish line.

What if success wasn’t about getting back to where you were, but about discovering who you are now? New goals. New rhythm. New rules.

Ready to transition with clarity instead of chaos?

You don’t have to wait for a breakdown to create a breakthrough.

Matty’s story is a powerful reminder that your worth isn’t found in your comeback it’s found in your honesty, your growth, and your ability to begin again.

🎧 Listen to the full conversation with Matty Lloyd on The Career Clarity Podcast by 2ndwind

📺 Or watch the episode on YouTube

When you’re ready to stop pretending and start rebuilding, we’re here.

You’re not alone.