Outrunning the Demons with Phil Hewitt

“Even when you have gone as far as you can, and everything hurts, and you are staring at the specter of self-doubt, you can find a bit more strength deep inside you, if you look closely enough.” Hal Higdon

In this episode, I chat with Phil Hewitt about his journey of transforming his life through the power of running. After being viciously mugged in 2016 and left for dead and then suffering the acute symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder, Phil found that dedicating himself to running was the healing path forward. As Phil suggests, running can take us to fantastic places and bring us back from terrible places. Enjoy this conversation on how running can help change lives.

Bio

UK journalist and marathon runner Phil Hewitt endured a horrendous experience in February 2016 which he has now turned into an inspirational new book – a fantastic story of hope which started in a very dark place.

After watching a cricket match in Cape Town, South Africa, three years ago, Phil was mugged – stabbed, punched, kicked and effectively left for dead in a grim, desolate suburb.

Astonishingly, just as he could feel himself starting to drift away, he was scooped up and whisked to hospital by a passing pizza delivery driver. Two deep stab wounds, 15 stitches, three broken ribs, battered liver and stomach, bruised all over.

Phil resolved to put himself back together again by getting back to his first love, running…. And it proved a remarkable way to outrun the demons of PTSD and his blood-soaked pavement. Which is why it became the title of his new book – Outrunning The Demons, newly published by Bloomsbury.

In it, Phil tells of his own experiences and their aftermath – and also interviews 34 people from around the world who, as he says, has been to hell and discovered that the surest, safest, quickest way back was to run.

He interviewed people caught up in 9/11 and the Boston Marathon bombing; people who have lost loved ones to murder and natural causes; people who have suffered addiction, alcoholism, anxiety, depression, violent and sexual assault; sheer bad luck – and even a nose-diving jet.

The result is a remarkable collection of stories about hope and survival – a genuinely uplifting celebration of the strength of the human spirit and all the good that is unleashed simply through running.

Pick up a copy of Phil’s book, Outrunning the Demons, using the link below. 

How to connect with Phil 

Twitter at @marathon_addict

Facebook here – https://www.facebook.com/phil.hewitt.524

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