Suffolk Mind has a mission to make Suffolk the best place in the world for talking about and taking care of mental health. All of us have mental health, just as we have physical health. We are all on the mental health continuum and we move up and down it depending on how we cope with the challenges of life and the stresses that it creates.Suffolk Mind works across the continuum, from wellbeing to severe and enduring mental ill-health, providing support & information for everyone. By challenging myself to cover the distance of 100 miles, it is a great way to stay active, achieve something amazing and do something to help other people. 

This charity really resonates with me as I have personally suffered with mental health issues. I was diagnosed with PTSD in 2016 and suffered with depression and anxiety which had a huge impact on my day to day life. Charities including Mind were essential for me to cope with my situation giving me supportive and reliable information which empowered me to seek help and process what I was going through. Just getting out of bed was a struggle most days and in my darkest moments daily tasks seemed impossible. Having support from professionals enabled me to speak freely with my friends and family who could provide support to help me get back on my feet. I am now in a much better place mentally but everyone has bad days and with the current covid situation I really focus on getting outside to help me maintain my mental and physical well being. I'm going to channel my efforts to complete the 100 miles for Suffolk Mind Challenge in my spare time outside of work. Why 100 miles? Well, Suffolk is approximately 100 miles East to West and North to South so it has a very local feel for a local charity.

The 100 Miles for Suffolk Mind challenge is to cover the distance of 100 miles, whether that is running, skipping, walking, hopping, swimming or in a more unique way. Over the next 30 days I will be walking, biking, swimming (depending on how brave I am in open water this winter) and horse riding to cover my 100 miles.