Stories of men’s mental health and SUP… Jordan Wylie 

Hello and welcome to our new column, where I talk to paddleboarders about the positive impact of SUP on their mental health

The Power of the Paddle… Jordan Wylie’s Story 
Interview: Jo Moseley
Photos: Alfie Marsh – waves and portrait. James May – carrying board 

Hello and welcome to our new column, where I talk to paddleboarders about the positive impact of SUP on their mental health. Whilst we are not for one minute suggesting that SUP is a replacement for professional medical help, I hope that these stories will open up conversations around men’s mental health and the benefits of being on the water. I am so grateful to Jordan for sharing his story. Please do get in touch if you would like to share yours: Instagram @jomoseley or thejoyofsuppodcast@gmail.com

Please tell us who you are and what you have done in paddleboarding.
My name is Jordan Wylie. I am a former soldier who served in the British Army with the King’s Royal Hussars for ten years. After leaving the Army, I spent the last 14 years building a career in adventure. I try to do things I enjoy and which will have a positive impact on the world. I am committed to helping the next generation and am the National Ambassador for Army Cadets. I also volunteer with the Scouts and Duke of Edinburgh Award Scheme, which gives me a great sense of purpose and fulfilment. Some people may also know me from TV, as I work on Channel 4’s BAFTA-nominated Hunted and Celebrity Hunted.  

During COVID-19, I began paddleboarding on my local stretch of the Basingstoke Canal, which was really beneficial for my mental health. 

In July 2020, I embarked on a huge – some might say crazy challenge called the Great British Paddle to become the first person to SUP around the coast of Great Britain. However, the expedition was halted after 149 days, 7 hours and 33 minutes and having covered 2377km. Nicola Sturgeon, the then First Minister of Scotland, announced that Scotland was going into a Level 5 lockdown, and we had to return home. 

At the time, it was a new world record for the longest journey on a paddleboard on the ocean. I am very happy to say that my good friend Brendon Prince went on to complete his circumnavigation of Great Britain in 2021. I couldn’t be prouder of Brendon, his achievements and the work he does for water safety. 

While I didn’t complete the journey, I accomplished the goal I set out to achieve – building a school in Djibouti, a tiny country in the Horn of Africa. In doing so, I fulfilled a promise to a little boy five years before. 

Can you tell us a little about your mental health challenges?
For the last few years, I have struggled with my mental health and was diagnosed with severe depression and chronic anxiety. People think my mental health struggles are a result of my time in the Army and the tours of Iraq and Northern Ireland, where I lost friends and witnessed some very distressing events. These times have certainly been challenging, and after being close to death on some occasions, I gained a real appreciation for life, and I now never take it for granted. 

However, after coming out of a ten-year relationship with the mother of my daughter, I reached some very dark moments and considered taking my own life. It was then that I received my diagnosis. 

How did SUP help?
I have found the great outdoors to be very ‘medicinal’. I call it my ‘Blue Therapy’ and find being in or on the water, on a board or boat, very tranquil. I feel I can reach that feeling of flow, where life is calmer, peaceful and magical. 

The Great British Paddle also gave me back a sense of purpose that I had lost after leaving the Army, where our real task was to protect and serve others. 

I wasn’t very good at paddling on the ocean at first. I had massively underestimated the task at hand. It took me almost two weeks to be able to stand up!

I was naïve enough to start and stubborn enough to continue, and kept going. Even when cold, tired or injured, I felt good every day. Even on the toughest day, it felt magical. It was one of the best experiences of my life. 

SUP is a close-knit community. Did you find support there?
Yes! I had wonderful help from incredible paddlers I met on the south coast, like Marie Buchanan, Sarah Thornely and Ginnie Betts, who taught me what to do. Without them, I wouldn’t have gone on to cross the Irish Sea twice and paddle around Cape Wrath in winter. 

Can you share any lessons the Great British Paddle taught you?
One lesson was that you must keep going – sometimes, that might simply be one paddle stroke at a time or on land, one step at a time. Dig deep, keep learning, keep going. Adversity can create wisdom and strength. Just don’t give up. 

Also, my TV work does give me a certain public profile. While I don’t buy into the celebrity culture, I believe that if you have a platform, you are responsible for being accountable to others. I want to use mine to encourage, support, motivate and educate others and be a force for good in the world. 

Please tell us how to find you on socials/website:
Instagram and Facebook: @mrjordanwylie
Website: www.jordanwylie.org
Book about the Great British Paddle: The Power of the Paddle by Biteback Publishing Ltd – www.bitebackpublishing.com/books/the-power-of-the-paddle