Torben Adolph has Tourette Syndrome. “It’s a nightmare for the family, for anyone around me. I can’t be social with friends. I can’t read the room. I misinterpret what people say. I get angry. Into conflicts – fighting and yelling. It’s uncontrollable.”
He’s had to live a solitary life.
When he was younger, he turned to martial arts and boxing, as it was something he could do by himself. Torben has a wife and kids now who understand him, and he has a job working from home in IT.
It’s Time: “Rebuilding My Life Without Medication”
For years, he controlled the Tourette’s with antidepressants. “The medication helped me through difficult periods, and I don’t regret using it when I needed it. But after many years I also felt something was missing.”
When his children had moved out, he struggled to control his weight, and he often felt strangely empty inside. In the last years he had also started to feel a real disgust toward his own body. “I knew something had to change.”
“I decided I wanted to try rebuilding my life without medication — if that was possible.”
Sparring with ChatGPT
“I started using ChatGPT during a period where I was trying to rebuild my health and create more structure in my life. I tend to approach problems analytically, so I used it almost like a sparring partner to discuss nutrition, training ideas, and general lifestyle changes.”
Torben had been on a fairly high dose of antidepressants continuously since 2006, so stopping was a long and careful process. He didn’t want to rush it.
During that period, he experienced two severe anxiety attacks on two consecutive nights — something he had never experienced before. “It was honestly pretty scary.”
“In those moments, ChatGPT unexpectedly became very helpful. It guided me through breathing exercises, suggested calming music, and even helped focus my mind by planning future training sessions.”
Around the same time, he started riding on Zwift, and the structure of training quickly became an important mental anchor for him.
He began asking ChatGPT questions about how to approach indoor cycling more seriously. ChatGPT helped him understand the concepts and plan things, and Zwift gave him the environment, motivation, and community.
“In a way, ChatGPT helped me think about the process — but Zwift is what changed my life.”
Today it has been a little over one year since he stopped antidepressants completely.
From Pills to Pedals
“But the real trigger for Zwift was actually my wife.”
She had started doing structured workouts on Zwift and was getting seriously strong. At the time Torben was riding on Rouvy, mostly just cruising around enjoying the scenery and pretending he was training.
Then they raced each other on Zwift.
His wife absolutely destroyed him.
“My wife beat the living hell out of me in a Zwift race. That was the moment I stopped cruising around on Rouvy and started training for real. That moment flipped a switch in my head.”
That’s where structured training became incredibly important. Especially the harder Zwift workouts. “Programs like Build Me Up gave me something I hadn’t felt for a long time: real drive and purpose. Hard training became my outlet.”
“I live with Tourette’s and a mind that rarely slows down. The intense workouts gave that energy somewhere constructive to go. Instead of restless thoughts, I could push everything into the pedals.”
Over time the structure, discipline, and physical exhaustion started giving him the balance he had been looking for.
“For years I tried to quiet my head with pills. Turns out I just needed to smash the pedals instead.”
Lifestyle Changes
Training was a big part of the transformation for Torben, but it wasn’t the only change.
At the start of 2025 he stopped drinking alcohol completely. “I was never a heavy drinker, but I could certainly enjoy it when the occasion was there. Since then, I’ve only had a small glass of wine on Christmas Eve 2025. Otherwise, I drink alcohol-free beer today.”
He also cut out chips, candy, and most of the snacks that used to sneak into his everyday life.
“Part of the reason I was able to make those changes is actually related to my Tourette’s and some ADHD traits. My brain tends to work in a very black-and-white way — it’s often all or nothing.”
So instead of trying to moderate things, he simply removed them completely. “Once my brain accepts a rule like that, it actually becomes easier to stick to. Combined with structured training on Zwift, those decisions helped me regain control over my body and my health.”
What Zwift Means To Him Today
“One of the biggest changes for me hasn’t just been the weight loss or the fitness — it’s the community. For many years, my life felt very isolated. Today, that’s completely different.”
Torben rides with The Herd, which has become a home base for him on Zwift. “I’m part of their Ladder and TTT race groups, and the teamwork there is something I truly enjoy.”
Recently he became a Red Beacon (aka a sweeper) on the Sunday Endurance Ride, a two-hour ride that currently starts at 12:55 CET. His job is to help keep the group together and make sure nobody gets dropped.
Helping others finish the ride has become something he really enjoys.
“Honestly, I look forward to that ride every week like a little kid waiting for Christmas morning.”
“Going from years where I mostly tried to manage things on my own to suddenly being part of a global cycling community has been one of the most unexpected and meaningful parts of the journey.”
Ride on, Torben! Thanks for being an active part of the community!
You can follow him on Zwift at: Torben Aldolph
