Scots judo star was '24 hours from suicide' before lifesaving text (2025)

Former GB judo athlete David Millar was just 24 hours from taking his own life when a last-minute text inviting him to a breathwork session changed everything.

A Scottish judo champion who was just a day away from taking his own life has told how a single breathwork class saved his life.

David Millar, 40, from the Highlands, won medals for Great Britain's in judo on the world stage but behind closed doors, his mental health was in freefall.

Six months after the birth of his first child, the retired sportsman had made a plan to end his life. However, a day before his planned suicide, he was sent a text inviting him to a breathwork class.

"I was 24 hours away from taking my own life. I’d already chosen how and when. At that point in my life, I hit rock bottom" he said.

He went to the breathwork class "on a whim" and he said that one session "broke" him "free - and set him on a path to help others.

Now, the dad-of-four, David has turned his life around and launched Mantra Menswork, a movement that has already helped more than 1,000 men overcome mental health struggles through retreats, coaching and brotherhood.

He said "I was burnt out. My marriage was suffering. My mental health was in free-fall. I felt worthless, depressed, completely unequipped to be a dad. I was confused and broken. I was in therapy and counselling, but nothing was working. If anything, it was compounding the isolation.

"Without competition, I lost my purpose Like most men, I didn’t realise I couldn’t catch my breath or make sense of anything – I was choking and drowning all at once. Breathwork didn’t feel like an obvious solution. When I got the text, I thought, ‘whatever, I’ve already made my decision.’ But I went on a whim."

"It was like I was locked in a jail cell in my head and these breath techniques broke me free. Breathwork gave me hope and a sense of purpose. It helped me realise things I was feeling and release things that hadn't been felt for 10+ years. That was just the beginning."

David stepped away entirely from the sport during the 2020 lockdown and took a job in joinery, working alongside his builder dad. But when his father was diagnosed with terminal cancer shortly after retirement, something shifted.

David, who now has children aged eight, five and three, as well as a newborn, said: “My dad worked his whole life as a joiner, breaking his body to provide for us. He finally retired – and was diagnosed with cancer straight away. That made me question everything. Why was I doing a job that wasn’t truly fulfilling, that wasn’t helping anyone in a meaningful way?

“I had a job, a salary, and a stable career, but I knew there was more I could do. Friends going through a similar crisis of identity and purpose were coming to me to talk and they told me things they had never shared with anyone. I realised I was really good at helping men to figure out how to get better. That realisation, combined with my own experience of hitting rock bottom and climbing back out, made it clear I had to create something for other men like me.”

His experience led to Mantra Menswork – a fast-growing programme and community that helps men break free from the mental traps that keep them stuck, isolated, and struggling in silence. Over the past few years, he’s worked with more than 1,000 men – fathers, business owners, pro athletes, ex-military, high-flying creatives - offering retreats, coaching and in-person meet-ups, designed to help men to step up and take ownership of their lives.

In the UK, men are three times more likely to die by suicide than women. And it’s not just that men are struggling — they’re also not receiving the help they need. According to NHS Digital, only around 36% of all referrals to NHS talking therapies are men. That means nearly two-thirds of people getting mental health support are women. David believes there are reasons for that.

“Every time I run an event, men realise the root of their struggles is a desperate need for real connection and authenticity” he said. “The second they get permission, they become almost giddy because they’ve been waiting for this kinship for so long – but they didn’t even know this kind of thing existed. They just thought they were broken.

“Therapy works for a lot of people but not everyone. A lot of men need more, they need community, safety, real support with tangible action and progress. There’s this craving for brotherhood, for the kind of support men just don’t get anymore. We used to have those spaces — in work, in community — but now men are navigating life on their own. It leads to more isolation, more depression, more guys hitting rock bottom with no lifeline.”

“We’re seeing such an epidemic of loneliness in men, and traditional therapy often isn’t working. There’s a missing piece somewhere — men don’t feel safe enough to share. Most therapists are women, and that might make it harder for some men to open up. Or maybe they’re just being re-traumatised by going over the same things again and again without any clear plan for moving forward.”

“They don’t just need someone to listen — they need guidance and real tools. That’s why I created Mantra Menswork and our Man ALIVE coaching programme. It’s not a talking shop. It’s about processing emotions without feeling weak, repairing relationships, and showing up better for your family and your life.

“It’s for men who are ready to step up and be held accountable by other good men doing the same self-development work. The programme combines behavioral science, mindfulness, and structured group support. We don’t leave men to figure it all out alone — we walk the path with them. Men don’t need fixing. They need a tribe that holds them accountable. That’s how we’ve changed so many lives already.”

To find out more about Mantra Menswork’s specialised coaching programmes for men, visit www.mantramenswork.com