From Burnout to Ultramarathon. How a hedge fund manager used 6-month break for an active reset to save his life (and career).

At 42, Mark had everything—on paper. A high-performing hedge fund manager in London, he led deals worth hundreds of millions, outperformed his peers, and lived in a world-class flat in Notting Hill.

But what didn’t show up in quarterly reports? An escalating dependence on stimulants. A hollow relationships. A nervous system in full revolt.

He didn’t need another productivity hack.He needed a pattern interrupt.

So, he did something few high-achievers have the courage to do:

He stepped off the hamster wheel—intentionally, radically—and took a 6-month active sabbatical.

And not just any sabbatical.He chose the hardest footrace on earth: the Marathon des Sables—a 250km ultra-marathon across the Moroccan Sahara.

The Decision That Saved Him

Mark didn’t quit his career.He paused—strategically.

With a coach.With a goal.With his life on the line.

He knew he was walking the knife-edge of burnout, substance abuse, and emotional bankruptcy.

He also knew this wasn’t something you “rethink on a beach with another spritz.”

This sabbatical wasn’t an escape. It was a reframe.

His only non-negotiable:

He had to return stronger.Physically. Mentally.Spiritually.

And still sharp enough to lead.

The Framework Behind His Transformation

1. Identity Shift: From Finance Gladiator to Resilient Athlete

He worked with a performance coach trained in somatic reset and habit rearchitecture.The first step wasn’t running. It was reclaiming agency over his body.Breathwork. Cold exposure. Sleep regulation. Sugar detox.Then: movement. Then: running. Then: vision.

“I wasn’t trying to become someone else,” he said.“I was remembering who I was before adrenaline became my only fuel.”

2. Clear Goal, Clear Stakes

Choosing Marathon des Sables gave him a mission.Six months. 250 kilometers. A physical impossibility—at first.

But he needed an edge.

Something that required all of him.

Something harder than work.

“When you’re running 40km a day in 40°C heat, your mind doesn’t spiral. It simplifies. It resets.”

3. Coaching as Strategy, Not Therapy

He didn’t need to “process.” He needed to rebuild.The coach helped him sequence the sabbatical like a turnaround strategy:

• Month 1: Reset the system

• Month 2–3: Establish new rituals

• Month 4–5: Build physical and emotional resilience

• Month 6: Peak challenge

• Return: Re-entry strategy + boundaries audit

The result?

Mark came back clearer, cleaner, and more effective—without losing one ounce of ambition.

Sabbaticals Don’t Have to Be Passive. In Fact, They Shouldn’t Be.

This wasn’t about burnout recovery.

It was about reinvention through structure.He didn’t go “off grid.”He built a different grid.

A system of rituals

A relationship to challenge

A rhythm his nervous system could trust.

The Lesson for Every Overachiever

A well-designed sabbatical isn’t time off. It’s time on—just reallocated to your soul, your body, and your next-level identity.

Mark’s story proves this: You don’t have to lose your edge to heal.You just have to redefine where your edge begins.

And sometimes, it starts in the desert.

Thinking of taking a sabbatical without losing your momentum? Design it like a mission, not an escape.

Bring a coach.

Build a goal.

Give yourself a finish line that transforms you.

Your next chapter starts with one brave decision.