My journey with wellbeing really took shape… during the first year of fatherhood, when I was navigating my partner’s health challenges and learning to be a present dad to Leo. It was an incredibly intense period, and I had to confront my tendency to bottle things up. On a personal level, it really taught me the value of communication and showing your truth and your emotions in certain situations. For a long, long time, I was that guy who would just lean into a training and not talk about any issues. And at some point, the cracks would start to show and I was becoming a version of myself that I wasn't particularly thrilled about.
5 Minutes with Ryan Libbey
Words by
Clara Taylor
2nd January 2026
Former Made in Chelsea star, personal trainer and podcaster, Ryan Libbey reflects on his approach to wellbeing, fitness and vulnerability, after navigating his partner Louise Thompson’s health challenges. From endurance racing in the Sahara to launching Over + Above’s Freedom in Mind campaign, he opens up about emotional resilience, redefining strength, and why being present matters more than performance.
Ryan Libbey training in Over + Above's latest apparel.
Ryan running in a forest.
My partnership with Over + Above came from… a shared view with Matt Prior (former professional cricketer and founder of Over + Above) that fitness should be a less intimidating space and that we should lead with emotions and feelings. The latest campaign, Freedom in Mind, comprises of three short films, representing emotions – feelings, resilience and empowerment. I connect with each of these pillars having lived through some pretty challenging chapters. We want to create an environment where men feel they don’t have to just focus on the output or performance metrics. It’s about celebrating the small wins and feeling strong in both body and mind.
Over + Above baselayer garments.
Using research from the University of Loughborough, our apparel range focuses on…base layer garments that fuse compression and ProPrio®, which provide unparalleled support over major muscle groups and joints. Essentially, it reduces the onset of fatigue and potential injury.
Ryan Libbey running.
The toughest fitness challenge I’ve ever tackled was… The Marathon Des Sables in the Sahara Desert. I went into it with a bunch of stuff to process. My first year of fatherhood, I was essentially solo parenting, as well as being Louise’s primary caregiver (following her traumatic birth experience, which subsequently left her with PTSD and a colostomy bag). I went out there with a view of breaking myself physically, mentally, and emotionally, to rebuild into a more peaceful version of myself. The Legendary is described as the world’s toughest self-sufficient footrace. And it f****ing is. For around 250km (approximately six marathons), you have to carry all your food, camping kit, first aid, clothes etc, so I had a 15kg bag on me at all times. It’s the most challenging of environments – blistering heat, sandstorms and electrical storms. My blisters were so bad that I had to cut the backs off my shoes with a pen knife. It was a gnarly but beautiful experience. I dumped all the built-up frustration and resentment and left it in the desert.
I didn’t hesitate too much about sharing my experience publicly…When you do a podcast from home with your partner, you forget that almost 70,000 people are listening. My biggest fear was actually having those conversations with Louise. I’m very much a solutions-minded person, so I thought if I just take care of the baby, the appointments, the medications, the bills and keep everything moving without saying anything, then that might be sufficient. In actual fact, all she needed was for me to hold her hand and have open conversations. To live and share in the moments and accept that it’s a really s**t time. I had to ease myself into being vulnerable, but as soon as I did, my relationship improved tenfold.
Former Made in Chelsea star, personal trainer, and podcaster, Ryan Libbey.
I’m writing a children‘s book at the moment, which…is a story of my lived experience repackaged in a fantastical and kid-friendly way. It shows the removal of mum due to an injury in the first few pages and it follows a dad and his son as they go on an adventure. Bedtime stories are typically heavily dominated by the mums, so I’m hoping to create a book that fathers can pick up and use to create their own mini adventures with their little mini people.
Fatherhood has taught me…that pure innocence and joy can be derived from the simplest of things. Being in this industry, things happen thick and fast and you forget to be present. Having a son has made me focus on the more mundane, ordinary details of my everyday life. Like our bike ride or walk to nursery every morning. It's just fun because he’s fun.
Ryan cycling.
If I ever went on reality TV again, it would be…one of the Real Housewives franchises. Louise loves the Real Housewives of New York, so if she goes on that, maybe I’ll make an appearance.
