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I suffered a mild traumatic brain injury in a cycling accident in November 2018. I have managed to make a full physical recovery since, but a number of issues remain that have had quite an impact on my life. I have struggled with depression over the last year and things culminated with an attempt to end my life in May 2019. I'm in a better place now, but still struggle with being able to stay focused on tasks. I also have issues with short-term memory, sensitivity to light, headaches that have persisted for over a year and partial loss of feeling to my face. The support of my partner Lydia, family and friends has helped me through the dark times, but other people may not have a support network in place to help them, or anyone to talk to.

Raising the awareness of the issues surrounding mental health has never been more important than it is today. However, there remains a stigma attached to talking about things like depression, anxiety, thoughts of self-harm as well as suicidal thoughts. Mental health services provided by the NHS do an outstanding job, but they are understaffed, underfunded and under-resourced. Some people may feel like they have no-one to turn to, but charities like the Jacob Abraham foundation are there to offer support. Their motto 'RAMS' stands for 'raising awareness of mental health and suidice'. Far too many lives are being lost prematurely, but help is out there. The Jacob Abraham foundation offer 1-2-1 intervention counselling for anybody experiencing suididal thoughts. Their work also includes educating communities on the issues surrounding suicide. They also provide suicide prevention training, as well as workshops for people under the age of 18. Postvention support is offered to people who have been affected by suicide, and their support of close family freinds who have been affected by the loss of suicide has inspired me to make my voice heard.

Wales in a Day is an organised road bike event which starts at Caernarfon, in North Wales and finishes in Chepstow. The route is just under 300 km and features a gruelling 4500 m of climbing! The journey takes in the epic climbs of Llanberis Pass (pictured from Pen-y-Pass), Penmachno and Gospel Pass which is the highest road pass in Wales.

I have ridden in Snowdonia several times, so I'm familiar with some of the route in North Wales. I've also covered the route from Hay-on-Wye to Chepstow, so I'm under no illusions as to what awaits me, but I'm genuinely looking forward to it!

Further training updates to follow but feel free to check on my progress on Strava:

https://www.strava.com/athletes/6399372

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