Sappers running a half marathon?!  Yes, came as a shock to me too but despite Covid-19 restrictions resulting in the cancellation of the Oxford Half event itself, I and many others will still be running it virtually on Sunday 11^th October.  This does not mean running it on a computer or with a VR headset (!) but running my own individual route of equivalent distance in Witney that day. 

Running is a relatively new addition to my life and it’s an addition which has been invaluable in keeping me positive and energised, especially in recent months during lockdown - a time that has been so incredibly difficult for such a lot of people.  This is of course especially true for those vulnerable to illness and their loved ones, those in financial hardship and those who suffer from mental health problems that often escalate in times of crisis.  And this is why the work of the charity I will be representing is so important right now.

Oxfordshire Mind is a charity close to my heart. Many of you will not be aware of my own personal challenge with a mental health condition that I have lived with for about 25 years. On many occasions this condition and its effects have been debilitating and deeply damaging to me and those around me – though many others, particularly at work, will most likely not have noticed. That’s the thing with a mental health condition, it is so often a silent aggressor.

The fact that I have been able to manage this condition, enjoy my wonderful family and develop a career that I love is down to an incredible support network of people I love and who love me. My closest friends, parents, family and of course my ever-loving (and patient!) wife Yonit have kept me afloat through the darkest of times.  When I was younger I also benefited from Mind’s services which were invaluable. In later years I have been fortunate to be able to fund my own regular Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) privately.

Not everyone is as fortunate.  Many do not have the personal support networks I do and do not know where to turn - indeed for many their networks offer the very opposite of support.  The work of Oxfordshire Mind is critical in a post-Covid world, especially for those who are vulnerable and for those who are isolated. 

Along with proper support and where necessary therapy and medication, exercise is a critical ingredient for managing a mental health condition.  So as I take on the first sporting challenge I think I have ever attempted, there really was no more fitting charity than Oxfordshire Mind. 

Thank you to everyone who has supported me with a donation so far.  I'd be incredibly grateful to anyone else who would like to contribute to this important cause and help me reach my target for October 11th.

Thank you