What happens when you spend your whole life performing at the highest level, only to realize, in midlife, that you've been quietly carrying a mental health condition that almost no one talks about? In this episode, I am joined by Jud Heugel: pediatrician, health tech CMO, father, ultra-endurance athlete, and now—mental health advocate. After years of living in silence, Jud opens up about his journey with bipolar disorder, why he kept it hidden, and what changed when he decided it was finally time to share his truth. What started as a casual chat about podcasting turned into one of the most powerful conversations this show has ever held—because Jud's story is not just about bipolar. It's about resilience, self-acceptance, and using your life experiences as fuel for something bigger.

 

In this episode:

• His early struggles during medical residency—and what led to a full mental health breakdown
• The misunderstood highs of hypomania and how they impacted his life and career
• Why he believes sports—especially endurance sports—can be a tool for healing
• The stigma of mental health in medicine—and the long road to acceptance
• How middle age has become a time of radical self-actualization for him

 

Jud, you’re forwarding progress in all ways and it’s very humbling that you chose Right in Front of My face to as your starting line to opening up about bipolar. Thank you.   You can find Jud at https://www.thebalancedathlete.org/ and Substack: The Balanced Athlete.

 

You can find me on Instagram @rightinfrontofmyface or send me a note at [email protected].

 

If this conversation hit home for you, please share it with a friend and leave a review. It really does help more people find these stories. And as always, don’t forget to look around—you never know what’s happening right in front of your face.

 

Thank you to my sponsors Cassie and Jeremy Johnson with Windermere Real Estate: https://johnsonandwalker.com/