Race Across the World's Kush in tears as he reveals his stepdad died from suicide as Jo comforts him
Kush's real dad also tragically diedRace Across the World‘s Kush ends up in tears tonight as he recalls the moment his stepdad Matt died from suicide.
Kush, 19, explains that he was just 14 years old when Matt took his own life after suffering with his mental health.
The student’s biological dad had died when he was only one, so he had always regarded his stepdad as his father.
With his childhood best friend and Race Across the World teammate Jo next to him, Kush opens up about the two tragedies in his life.
Race Across the World’s Kush recalls late dad
In tonight’s episode, the four remaining teams have to head from Tbilisi in Georgia to Kazakhstan. They fly there due to road blocks.
Once in the port city Aktau, the teams have to make their way to their fifth checkpoint in Zaamin National Park.
They are all apprehensive about this leg, due to the language barrier, cultural differences and their safety.
Kush and Jo manage to muster up good spirits, however, and are quick to make friends with the locals. Kush even finds himself sharing some unusual looking food with an elderly lady on a train.
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The lads embark on a home stay with a local family. But speaking to the dad of the house sparks Kush to remember his late father.
He explains how his dad taught him Muaythai martial arts.
Kush recalls: “My biological dad passed away when I was one. My mum was alone with me and my older brother and she met my dad/ stepdad Matt.
“He was a fighter and coached me and my brother for as long as I can remember.”
Kush smiles as he recalls him fighting rounds with pads in the garden with Matt when he was younger.
He adds: “Even though we’re not blood, he never once shied away from treating me as his own. Growing up with someone strong to look up to means the world.”
Kush’s tears over his father’s suicide
Later, Kush and Jo head to a local gym to join the males in their host family for a judo session. Kush says it “means a lot” to him.
“Being in the gym, I wonder what he’d be thinking,” Kush says about Matt. “He’d be standing on the side with a particular smirk on his face watching me do judo throws.
He then recalls the day Matt took his own life.
Kush says: “I remember the day he passed. It was lockdown and it was a real big shock. He had really poor mental health and took his own life.
“You never forget that shock factor. I still think about him all the time.
“Being on this journey has brought me little moments of, ‘Ah, it would be bossed to tell him…’.”
Kush then becomes extremely emotional as he adds: “I wish, I really wish I could show him who I am now. Because when you’re 14, I didn’t know who I was and I was still a child.
“I made a lot of mistakes when I was younger and I feel like if I could show him what I have learned….”
Burying his head in his arms, Kush begins to cry. Thankfully, best friend Jo is there to comfort him.
Jo vows to ‘always be there’ for Kush
Jo also remembers that dark time in Kush’s life like it was yesterday. He tells the cameras that it changed Kush.
“Losing Kush’s dad, it was so sudden. I think experiencing those hardships so unexpectedly has affected Kush’s personality,” Jo says.
“He wants to stay in control of himself. He’s ever got drunk, doesn’t smoke, doesn’t do anything without checking safety twice. Because it was such a shock, I guess he doesn’t want anything like that to happen again.”
Jo adds: “I’m always there for Kush and I know he’s there for me as well.”
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