Hello, 

I have been lucky to have been chosen to run and ride for MIND, a charity that has helped me (and many friends and colleagues) over the last few years with my mental health and I would like to raise money to support them in the future to enable them to continue their amazing work. 

Some of you will be aware that I have suffered quite severely with my mental health over the last few years. I am lucky enough to have people around who love and care for me and fantastic support from work. 

I haven't told many people what has been going on in my life, I didnt want to bore you. I have cancelled nights out, meeting friends and lots of social events, not because I wanted to but because i just couldn't leave the house. I have even pretty much stopped most of my sporting activities which I have found really hard as I love it so much and I get so much out of it. I am working hard to get back into my events. 

Most of you will know I love my job. I always have and I always look forward to going in -apart from on nights! Unfortunately it isn't an easy job. We deal with lots of incidents that I believe, slowly chip away at you and I never really understood how to look after myself or others around me. 

Police officers are always thought of as hard nosed and to be able to deal with anything, but underneath we are normal people with normal lives. We have the same stresses as anyone else but also give so much to those who are in crisis and need guidance, support and protection. We are very good at hiding our emotions, but this can have a detrimental effect on us and I/we have lost so many officers and friends over the years to the effects of what we do.

It’s time to talk and be open about our own mental health, whether in or out of the police. I have learnt this over the years and am happy to discuss my story with anyone that wants to listen. I have even shared my story with people who I’ve dealt with on the streets. I feel comfortable doing this. It shows there is another way of dealing with things and there is a way out. I’m not saying I’m 100% because who in reality is?! I am definitely getting there though.

MIND have helped me so much and I know many friends have also used the services they provide to deal with their own issues. I would like to raise as much as I can to support them for the future. 

Zoe has been a huge support for me over this time and I might not even be here without her. She has made me sign up to events and get me out and about. I even ran 18 miles helping her train for the marathon last year. I couldn't walk for days after so Im looking forward to getting her back on those runs. She will be helping me raise the money as she is also taking part in the London Marathon and Ride London.

I have signed up to complete the London marathon, Ride London and I hope to get a place at Swim Serpentine in London. Many of you probably think this will be easy for me but I can guarantee you that it won't! I am not a long distance runner, I get injured very easily and anything over 13 miles for me is a huge challenge. 

I haven't riden my road bike in well over a year. 100 miles again will not be easy, and this challenge will mean I have to brush the dust and dirt off my bike and start cycling again. I have felt that I just can't do it anymore but I need to gain the confidence to start from scratch.

The swim is an add on and will complete my near ironman distance of events over the year. Swimming 2 miles in the Serpentine will be a great event with 100s of other swimmers. If you have never tried swimming in a large group, give it a go and you'll see how tough it can be.Try swimming over the top of someone in the pool getting kicked in the face and you're nearly there! 

All I am asking is for my friends to donate to this worthy cause. I have shared this on facebook and I have 600+ on my friends list (Zoe not so many!!), but if you all donated just £5 (which these days is a pint of beer or glass of wine) we would easily reach our target. It really isn't much and we would really appreciate it. There will also be lots of fundraising going on so get your cash out and start sponsoring us. 

Thank you all for your support 

Dave and Zoe xx

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