For athletes with traumatic brain injury, when the cheering stops, the damage does not.

On this episode of Ibogaine Uncovered, host Talia Eisenberg is joined by former pro rugby player Chris Simpson-Daniel, bare knuckle champion Mark “The Shark” Irwin, and retired MMA veteran Mike “The Joker” Guymon. They speak about traumatic brain injury, early cognitive decline, depression, and the absence of viable medical treatment. The conversation traces their careers in rugby, MMA, and bare knuckle fighting, the slow accumulation of head trauma, and the neurological symptoms that followed. They discuss systemic failures within sport, the psychological toll of identity loss, and the lack of long-term care. The episode then turns to their shared experience undergoing ibogaine treatment at Beond, exploring neurological symptoms, emotional processing, physical recovery, and the emerging evidence that ibogaine may offer meaningful intervention for TBI when conventional medicine does not.

Chris Simpson-Daniel is a former professional rugby player in the UK, involved in the class action lawsuit addressing long-term brain injury in rugby and founder of Tempest Group Villages, a supportive living initiative for athletes. Mark Irwin, known as Mark The Shark, is a bare knuckle champion and co-founder of Athletes Journey Home, supporting fighters with TBI through psychedelic therapy and research. Mike Guymon, known as The Joker, is a retired professional MMA fighter who has spoken publicly about the neurological and psychological toll of repeated head trauma.

Timestamps

• (03:00) Why they entered their sports and the meaning of brotherhood
• (11:00) Rugby head trauma and the UK class action lawsuit
• (14:30) Early TBI warning signs and pressure to keep competing
• (18:00) Mike’s accumulated TBIs, tremors, balance issues, and daily impairment
• (24:45) Medical dead ends, CTE, and being written off by doctors
• (30:00) Why ibogaine, the Stanford TBI study, and this cohort’s purpose
• (35:00) Deciding to try Beond, skepticism, fear, and hope
• (37:00) Inside the ibogaine sessions and individual experiences
• (45:00) Early outcomes, tremors stopping, mood shifts, and mobility returning
• (50:00) Beond’s medical model, coaching, and community support

Links

• Mark Choinski (@mark___the___shark)
• Michael Guymon (@jokerguymon)
• The Tempus Group (@tempus.villages)
• Athletes Journey Home – Psychedelics for Traumatic Brain Injury
• Athletes Journey Home (@athletesjourneyhome)