A NEW Netflix documentary about the mental health struggles of cyclist Mark Cavendish has hit TV screens… with Northern Gateway Sports Park used as a key filming location in the programme.
Launched on Netflix at the start of the month, ‘Mark Cavendish: Never Enough’ follows Cavendish’s battle with the Epstein-Barr virus – better known as glandular fever – and how a diagnosis of clinical depression left doctors worried about the prospect of self-harm.
Cavendish, who lives in Ongar, has been in front of the cameras for the programme since filming started last year, and the television crews pitched up at the Northern Gateway Sports Park as part of the documentary’s production.
The sports park, which opened in 2021 at the cost of £29million, has a one-mile floodlit cycle track, which is also used for both amateur and elite riders.
A spokesman for Colchester Council said the filming of the documentary at Northern Gateway Sports Park is a huge positive for the city.
He said: “We are delighted that Mark Cavendish chose to film his documentary at Colchester Sports Park, which is testament to the quality of the facilities we have to offer.
“We hope that this documentary will help to raise the profile of Colchester Sports Park and the sport of cycling in general.”
The new 90-minute documentary focuses on Cavendish’s mental health struggles and how he felt a sense of worthlessness after post-viral fatigue syndrome saw him unable to return to the world-beating form which made him one of cycling’s greatest athletes.
He said: “Everyone is human – it doesn’t matter where you are in life, what your background is or what you do.
“The irony is that you feel so alone if you suffer when in fact everyone is probably there thinking they’re alone.
“If you talk you’d be surprised how much you’ve got in common.”
He added that reaching out to loved ones is one of the best ways people can seek help when they are going through a tough time.
“It’s an understanding that there’s a ladder in the middle of that spiral down and you can get on that ladder and climb up.
“It doesn’t matter where you’re at. It’s keeping that hope and good people around you.”
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