Inspiring story of the day: “I heard a voice, think about your wife and kids”-How Tyson Fury survived one-pound birth, mental health crisis and rose again to boxing champion

Tyson Fury’s life story goes far beyond boxing. Born three months premature and weighing just one pound, he survived when doctors feared he would not. Years later, after beating Wladimir Klitschko and reaching the top of heavyweight boxing, Fury faced a very different fight. Depression, alcohol and drug use pushed him into a crisis so deep that he once drove his Ferrari towards a bridge at high speed. His wife, Paris Fury, his family and professional help became important parts of his return. Fury eventually rebuilt his life, returned to boxing and began speaking openly about mental health.How did Tyson Fury survive after being born weighing just one poundTyson Luke Fury was born on August 12, 1988, in Wythenshawe, Manchester. He arrived around three months early and weighed only one pound. His father, John Fury, had already experienced the loss of two daughters who were born prematurely, making Tyson’s survival even more uncertain.John later explained why he gave his son the name Tyson. Mike Tyson was the heavyweight champion at the time, and John believed the tiny baby would have to fight from the moment he was born.That belief became part of the family story around Tyson Fury. He grew up in an Irish Traveller family and later turned to boxing, eventually becoming one of the most recognised heavyweight fighters in the sport.His early life did not guarantee the career that followed. Fury had to build himself as a boxer before he could become a world champion. In November 2015, he travelled to Germany and beat Wladimir Klitschko on points, taking the WBA, IBF and WBO heavyweight titles. The WBO records the victory as Fury becoming a unified heavyweight champion.The success, however, did not bring the peace many people might expect.What happened to Tyson Fury after he defeated Wladimir KlitschkoFury’s problems became public after the biggest win of his career. He struggled with severe depression, gained a large amount of weight and turned to alcohol and cocaine. In 2016, the World Boxing Association recorded that a psychologist had confirmed his clinical depression. Fury later gave up his titles while dealing with his problems.He also spoke openly about how difficult that period had become. In an interview with The Joe Rogan Experience, Fury described driving a new Ferrari towards a bridge in 2016 while thinking about ending his life.He said: “I got the car up to 190 miles an hour and I was heading towards that bridge.”Fury said he then heard a voice telling him to think about his children and family. He pulled the car over and later decided he would not try to take his own life again. His account of the incident has been reported for years as one of the darkest moments of his struggle.The important part of the story is what happened after that night. Fury did not simply return to the gym and forget what had happened. He began dealing with the problems that had taken him so low.In 2018, he told BBC Sport that he had reached a point where he did not want to wake up, but had come back from that period. He also spoke about wanting his comeback to give hope to other people dealing with mental health problems.How did Paris Fury support Tyson Fury through his darkest yearsParis Fury was part of Tyson Fury’s life long before he became a world champion. The pair met as teenagers at a wedding. Paris was 15 and Tyson was 17 when they first met, and they later began a relationship before marrying in 2008.Their relationship also went through the hardest period of Tyson’s life. Paris has spoken about how his depression, alcohol problems and other struggles affected their family. She was not simply watching a famous boxer struggle from the outside. She was dealing with the same difficult period at home.That makes her role in Fury’s comeback different from the image of a celebrity partner standing beside a champion after a big fight. Paris knew Tyson before the belts, fame and money. She knew the person behind the boxer.Fury has repeatedly spoken about the importance of his family when discussing his darkest period. His own account of the Ferrari incident shows how strongly thoughts of his wife and children were tied to his decision to stop.The couple now have seven children. Their family life has also become part of the public story around Fury, but the most important part of Paris’s role came during the years when his career and personal life were both under serious pressure.How did Tyson Fury turn his mental health battle into a comeback storyFury eventually returned to boxing after more than two years away. He had lost a huge amount of weight, returned to training and began rebuilding his career step by step.His comeback became especially powerful because it was not only about winning fights. In December 2018, Fury faced Deontay Wilder for the WBC heavyweight title. In the 12th round, Wilder knocked Fury down, but Fury somehow got back to his feet before the final bell. The fight ended in a draw.That moment became one of the clearest images of Fury’s comeback. He had already spent years trying to rebuild himself outside the ring. Now he was doing the same thing in front of a huge audience.Fury later beat Wilder in their second fight in 2020 and stopped him again in their 2021 trilogy fight. He also retained the WBC title against Dillian Whyte at Wembley in April 2022, with 94,000 people attending the event.His mental health work also continued outside boxing. Fury worked with Campaign Against Living Miserably, known as CALM, on a campaign encouraging people to talk about mental health instead of suffering alone. He later worked with Talk Club and released a version of “Sweet Caroline” to raise money for men’s mental health.That is what makes Fury’s story different from a simple boxing comeback. His career already had the titles, big fights and packed stadiums. The more personal battle came when none of those things could make him feel better.Fury survived a difficult start to life, reached the top of boxing, lost his way and then found a route back. His story does not suggest that family support alone fixes depression or addiction. It shows something more practical: asking for help, accepting support and continuing the work can matter when someone is struggling.For Fury, the fight outside the ring became the one that changed how he viewed his life.Stay updated with the latest Asian Games 2026 news, check the Asian Games medal tally and complete Asian Games schedule.Get the latest Sports News and Live updates. Download the TOI app.