This February I am taking part in my 5th multi stage ultra and after the slight set back of the MDF, this one holds a lot of personal meaning.

This project is an epic self-sufficient foot-race through Arctic Sweden and facing one of the most extreme possible weather conditions, I will be running 230km spread across five stages of Arctic tundra, including endless pine forests, snowy mountains and frozen lakes. 

Over the course of the five days, I'll be facing poor visibility (mine is increasingly bad anyway), gruelling mountain climbs of up to 1180 meters and temperatures which can drop as low as -40.  

Stage one: Kungsleden (60km)

The first frozen lake crossing and ascent to a high plateau and cross wind-scoured tundra, leaving me completely exposed to the onslaught of the elements. 

Stage two: Kabla (44km)

The biggest climb of the race, Mount Kabla. A 700m grind over 6 kilometres. 

Stage three: The Lakes (42km)

A marathon in length, this stretch requires mental fortitude to cross the huge expanse of the lakes. Depending on snowfall the lakes can be mine-fields with your foot entering half frozen water at any given step. 

Stage four: Sami (64km)

The longest stretch of the race, there are more lake crossings to tackle, more thickly carpeted pine forests to plough through, and on battered legs, many more hours of hard slog to reach the finish line. 

Stage five: The Sprint (15km)

On stiff legs and swollen feet with only 15 kilometres left to cover, the finish line is within reach. The months of training, the days of effort and hardship are about to come to the end - the Ice Ultra is almost complete! 

Why am I doing this?

Exercise, and in particular long distance running, has always been much of an escapism for me. I find it keeps me on track mentally and reduces stress tension which can build up from a high-pressured, busy working life. 

For that reason it seems fitting to me that the funds I raise on this journey go towards helping others with their mental health pressures, which is why I've chosen Blue Smile as my charity. This is a specialist children's charity that helps school children spot and deal with their mental health issues before they become a bigger issue. With three young children that have gone through the pandemic in front of my eyes, this is such an incredibly important cause for me and my family. These fine young things deserve the best change we can all give them and Blue Smile is a key to this outcome.

It is worth noting that nearly four children in every class have mental health issues and the number of children having therapy for anxiety has risen by 60 per cent in two years. Yet just one in four children with mental health problems receive any statutory support or treatment. 

Blue Smile is a Registered Charity (No. 1139279) dedicated to enhancing the emotional wellbeing, mental health and resilience of disadvantaged children and young people in Cambridgeshire schools, by delivering arts-based therapy and mentoring. Blue Smile has provided intensive, specialist, long-term support to almost 1500 children since its launch in 2010.

For the children Blue Smile worked with across the 2020-21 school year, 94% of parents said that their child’s problems identified at referral had improved because of the therapeutic support they received.

'I have brightness in me again and I feel happiness. I feel that I can take on any learning challenge, and I never used to feel that’ 

(A aged 11)

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