Forged by Giants, Cowbell Robs BattleForged by Giants, Cowbell Robs Battle
Chase The Vase
Rob Rich shares his journey through a broken marriage, sports betting addiction, depression and a suicide attempt, and how faith, community and service helped him keep fighting. The episode frames his story through giants faced, battles fought, turning points found and the "stone" that brought his giants down.
27:52•3 Aug 2026
Forged by Giants: Cowbell Rob’s Fight Against Depression, Gambling and Despair
Episode Overview
- Addiction isn’t limited to substances; behaviours like sports betting can create the same destructive cycle and endorphin chase.
- Lack of communication and unresolved trauma in relationships can fuel depression and unhealthy coping mechanisms.
- A suicide attempt led Rob to psychiatric care, forcing a reassessment of his life, faith and priorities.
- Choosing divorce became a step towards protecting his daughters from a toxic home and rebuilding his own mental health.
- Service to others, inspired by his late niece, became a key "stone" that helped Rob move forward and support people facing their own battles.
“Whatever giant you might be facing, don't give up.”
How do people find hope in the darkest times? This episode of Fight Like David zooms in on co-host Rob Rich – better known as Cowbell Rob – and his brutal honesty about facing giants that nearly cost him his life. You’ll hear Rob talk about a marriage that felt more like a silent war zone than a partnership.
Unable to communicate with his wife, he describes years of emails trying to express feelings, then eventually giving up and living like a "roommate" alongside his three daughters. To escape the pressure and depression, he turned to sports betting, starting with £5 and £10 wagers that slowly grew into £1,000 bets, chasing the same endorphin rush people get from drugs. As Brock points out, Rob’s pattern "was just in a vicious cycle of addiction" even without substances.
The conversation gets heavy when Rob shares his suicide attempt: jumping into busy traffic from his UPS delivery truck. Miraculously, drivers swerved. That moment led to 10 days in a psychiatric ward and the start of a hard reset on his life, his faith and his relationships.
The episode follows the show’s four-part framework: the giant (a toxic marriage, depression and gambling), the battle (internal despair and repeated separations), the turning point (choosing divorce so his daughters didn’t have to live in a toxic home), and the stone – the thing that finally brings the giant down. For Rob, that stone was people: a trusted team, new work, meaningful exercise, and a deep commitment to service inspired by his niece who died from a heroin overdose.
With Brock and Rob swapping stories and laughs alongside some very raw moments, this episode offers a candid look at how faith, friendship, service and honest conversations can keep someone in the fight. If you’re facing your own giants, could it be time to pick up your stone?
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