Iona & Jess' 202.0 Miles for Sporting Minds
Iona Westwood is raising money for Sporting Wellness
Story
2020 has been a mentally tough year for many people, so throughout December we will be running 202.0 miles for Sporting Minds UK to raise awareness of mental health and hopefully some funds for this fantastic charity.
Often the hardest part of getting help is making the first phone call to talk to someone. Sporting Minds provides a welcoming service for young athletes (16-30 years old) which will then find the best support for each individual, often through their association with the professionals at BUPA. The Charity also runs ‘mental health first aid courses’ for supporting institutions, helping them recognise individuals who may be struggling and guiding them on how to source or provide the help needed. These early intervention and awareness strategies can make a huge difference to someone who is struggling with their mental health.
It would be fair to say long distance running is not an obvious source of fun for either of us! However, to help us on each run, we will be listening to a different podcast on a topic related to mental health so please follow along on social media and Strava to find out more!
Mental health in young sportsmen and sportswomen is something we think needs a lot more attention so we’d be incredibly grateful for any donations, no matter how small, you may be able to spare. We obviously quite understand if you aren’t in a position to make a donation but even just stopping, acknowledging and raising awareness of the mental health problems young sportsmen and sportswomen face will make our 202 miles worth it, so thank you so much for taking the time to read this!
Iona and Jess x