Podcast Summary

Podcast: Tony Mantor: Why Not Me?
Episode: Justin Peck: Transforming Bipolar Challenges into Mental Health Advocacy and Community Support
Date: December 31, 2025
Host: Tony Mantor
Guest: Justin Peck – Professional race car driver, mental health advocate, founder of National Mental Health Alliance

Overview

This episode features a deeply honest and inspiring conversation between host Tony Mantor and Justin Peck, a professional race car driver living with Class 1 bipolar disorder. Justin traces his journey from childhood struggles and a near-fatal depressive episode to becoming a passionate advocate for mental health and supporter of community causes. He discusses the realities of living with mental illness, the stigmas he has faced, the healing found in racing and purpose, and his drive to help others through personal outreach and organizational leadership.

Key Discussion Points and Insights

Justin's Early Life and Mental Health Challenges

• Diagnosis & Personal Struggle

  • Diagnosed with Class 1 bipolar disorder about 28 years ago; struggled with suicide attempts, intense emotions, and personal turmoil starting from a young age (03:22).
  • Felt different as early as age nine due to heightened sensitivity and emotions; first manic episode at age 13 (04:38).
  • “I was an emotional, sensitive kid. Kind of went through that process and... started pulling away from there.” – Justin (04:38)

• Family and Social Impact

  • Faced severe bullying throughout school years, with little understanding or support from educators or family who saw mental struggles as weakness or growing pains (06:21).
  • “Back then, bullying was just bullying, right?... My family structure was very solid. They didn’t understand, by no means...It wasn’t until I actually dove into it and was willing to talk about it that my family actually grasped onto the concept of what I was going through.” – Justin (06:21)

• Generational Challenges

  • Notes cultural differences in mental health awareness across generations; mental illness was simply not discussed or recognized when he was young (05:21).

Navigating Teen Years and Social Relationships

• Loneliness and Self-Critique
  • Had few close friends, was extremely shy, struggled with social relationships, and became his harshest critic, often plagued by a sense of alienation (09:44).
  • “When you realize that you're different in that way, you start to overcompensate... We're always our worst critic, right?” – Justin (09:44)

Racing as Purpose and Belonging

• Racing as “Medication”

  • Racing became an escape and a way to channel his struggles; provided acceptance, camaraderie, and a sense of belonging without judgment (11:12).
  • “Racing, for me, I realized... that was my medication. I was able to just be who I was, and there was no judgment or bullying.” – Justin (11:12)

• Adrenaline and Mental State

  • Links the adrenaline of racing (doing 120-160 mph over challenging terrain) to a feeling of truly being alive, and regaining self-confidence (12:46).

A Life-Altering Suicide Attempt (13:23)

• The Incident

  • At age 26, isolated in despair, Justin attempted suicide by gun but survived when the gun misfired.
  • “I give up. Reached into the center console of my truck, grabbed the pistol, loaded it, put it to my head, and pulled the trigger... I saw where the firing pin had hit the primer, and there’s no reason it shouldn’t have went off.” – Justin (13:23)

• Aftermath and Turning Point

  • The misfire triggered an intense adrenaline surge that shifted his mental state, leading him, for the first time, to reach out for professional help (15:10).
  • “It helped me understand that there’s higher powers that be... That was really a huge pivotal moment in my life of actually having a name or a face to the name.” – Justin (15:10)

Professional Evolution & Resilience

• Entrepreneurship

  • Lifelong entrepreneur, turned to construction, then more intensely into racing post-2008 economic downturn (16:26).
  • Began racing full-time about 15–16 years ago; mostly competes in endurance events like the Baja 1000 in trophy trucks and rally cars (17:30).

• Bodily Injuries and the Mental Toll

  • Over 84 broken bones; physical pain sometimes helped distract from mental pain. Embraced a “learn the hard way” mentality.
  • “When your brain hurts mentally, your whole body hurts... I found that when I was hurt, when I was broken, I could focus more on the external pain than the internal pain.” – Justin (19:48)

Advocacy, the National Mental Health Alliance, and Impact

• Shift to Advocacy

  • Served as an Ambassador for Mental Health America but branched out to create his own, more targeted nonprofit: the National Mental Health Alliance (20:45, 21:33)
  • Focuses on education for families and loved ones, support for people with substance abuse struggles, veterans, and more.

• National and Personal Support

  • The Alliance provides education, resources for domestic violence, substance abuse, postpartum depression, etc. (22:16)
  • Emphasizes the invisible wounds after disasters and finding support for those suffering emotionally even when there are no visible injuries.

• Memorable Moment – Human Compassion

  • Shared a powerful story from North Carolina: comforting a woman in distress after a natural disaster simply with a hug and presence.
  • “All she needed was a hug and someone to tell her that it’s okay.” – Justin (23:10)

Connecting, Serving Veterans, and Accessible Support

• Serving in New Ways

  • Recounts being denied military service due to mental illness but finding purpose in supporting veterans through advocacy, especially after losing friends to suicide (24:17).

• Open Communication

  • Invites anyone to reach out via Instagram (justinpet49) and promises personal support for those in need (25:05).
  • “I will talk to anybody, anybody at any time... To just let people know that strangers are still there.”—Justin (25:05)

Justin Peck’s Book: Bulletproof

• Origin and Philosophy

  • Book began as a journal encouraged by his grandmother to share his life with his children after losing his brother to an overdose (25:57).
  • Refused lucrative book deals in order to keep his story authentically his own.
  • “At the end of the day, I still needed to stay true to myself and true to my message.” – Justin (27:09)

• How to Get the Book

  • Available at justinpeck.com and Amazon (27:20).

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• “You can’t say that you’re crazy when you’re doing a crazy sport, if that makes any sense.” – Justin, on racing and mental health (03:22)
• “I feel like I was blessed to be able to have this... It’s made me the man that I am today, and it’s given me the platform to talk about it.” – Justin (09:15)
• “When you have that sense of belonging, then the self-doubt starts to go away. When self-doubt starts to go away, now confidence builds.” – Justin (11:12)
• “I give up. Reached into the center console of my... truck, grabbed the pistol, loaded it, put it to my head and pulled the trigger... The firing pin hit the primer, and there’s no reason it shouldn’t have went off.” – Justin (13:23)
• “There may be 50 [messages] one day, there may be 20 the next, and there may be 500 the next day. Just let people know that strangers are still there.” – Justin (25:05)
• “At the end of the day, I still needed to stay true to myself and true to my message.” – Justin, on his book (27:09)
• (To Tony) “You educate, you put thoughts and potential actions in people’s minds that actually make a difference... If you ever doubt what you’re doing, man, I’m telling you, you reach a lot of people. You should be proud of what you do.” – Justin (27:44)

Timestamps for Important Segments

• 03:22 – Justin describes his diagnosis, family context, and beginnings as an advocate
• 04:38 – Early experiences of difference and sensitivity
• 06:21 – School bullying, family misunderstandings, generational attitudes
• 09:44 – Effects of bipolar disorder on teenage relationships and self-image
• 11:12 – The healing and belonging found in racing
• 13:23 – Justin's near-fatal suicide attempt and transformative realization
• 15:10 – Reaching out for help and first diagnosis
• 16:26 – Entrepreneurial journey and shift to racing
• 17:30 – Overview of racing career
• 19:48 – Impact of physical injuries on mental health
• 21:33 – Creating the National Mental Health Alliance
• 22:16 – Expanding mental health support and disaster relief experience
• 24:17 – Service to veterans and finding new purpose
• 25:05 – Being accessible for anyone who needs support
• 25:57 – Writing and publishing Bulletproof
• 27:44 – Justin affirms the impact of Tony's advocacy work

Closing Reflections

This episode is a testament to the ongoing work of de-stigmatizing mental health issues by grounding them in lived experience and offering hope through vulnerability, action, and real connection. Justin Peck’s story opens an important window into the daily struggles and triumphs of living with bipolar disorder, the importance of community for those feeling isolated, and the power individuals have to transform personal pain into positive social impact.

If you or someone you know is facing similar struggles, Justin encourages reaching out—connection can be found even with a stranger.

Contact Justin Peck:

• Instagram: @justinpet49
• Book: justinpeck.com, Amazon

Learn more about mental health:

• National Mental Health Alliance: Advocate, Educate, Support

Summary by Podcast Summarizer, covering content up to timestamp 28:44. Non-content sections (ads, promos, intros, outros) have been omitted.