I found myself in a position where I wasn't prepared in any shape to enter the real world of work, I had no work experience, no degree, and no idea what I wanted to do. All things which i neglected during my career, I was caught up in the rugby dream. All of this was terrifying in its own right, and I again spiralled into heavy drinking and depression, but this time because I never dealt with the trauma I experienced with my injuries, I was a lot worse, and it all came crashing down. I was drinking excessively, and ended up in a dark and scary place. 

It wasn't until some events took place which made me seek help, and tell my family and the people who were closest to me. When I began opening up and receiving professional support, I realised this is something I should've done a long time ago. Like many men, I would bottle everything up, push it aside, and leave it to simmer. Looking back, I believe I did this mainly because I didn't fully understand the consequences of not talking about your problems, and about mental health in general. 

On the 12th May, I will be running five marathons in five days to help break down the stigma around mental health and raise vital funds to go towards Restart’s work in providing professional mental health support to rugby players, like me.

We are fortunate to have charities like Restart rugby, who are there for injured players, and also run a full time counselling service for Male and Female rugby players who are in need of it. But most importantly are creating awareness and educating players about mental health, so that they can be more aware of early signs that they might not be alright. Like so many charities over the last 12 months, restarts income has taken a huge hit, and for this reason they need as much help so that they continue there great work! 

Any donations would be hugely appreciated! 

Thank you