I’m going to ride 365km on the roads of Mayo, on the 18th/19th August to raise funds for Samaritans Ireland. The reason I chose 365km, is due to growing need for mental health care access 365 days a year, 24/7. It’ll be the furthest stint I’ll have ever done on the road (140km being the furthest and probably going to be a bit tougher than the 247km on the turbo for Aware during covid!). Im delighted to have a stellar support crew on hand- I’m ready for the mental and physical challenge ahead. It'll be worth it for every second if I can help even one more person with their mental health battle. 

Samaritans, at present, is the only charity in Ireland which offers 24 hours a day support, 365 days a year to people who are in distress, lonely, struggling and/or feeling suicidal. It has 21 branches across Ireland with over 2000 volunteers. Every 56 seconds they take a phone call to help someone who is in need. They roughly respond to 1500 calls a day. 

Mental health awareness and promotion  is always going to be an important aspect in my life, having experienced the effects of ill mental health in my own family while growing up and having lost my father to suicide in 2012. This event hasn’t defined me as a person, but has shaped me into person that I am today. It has been a long road of learning many things after, and life long learning and adapting, but it made me realise ultimately, I wanted to do more to help others. I want to continue to try find ways to help as many people as I can going forward, and to promote positive mental health.

I’m never ashamed to say I’ve struggled with my own mental health, I’ve gone to counsellors, a psychiatrist, I use a mindfulness journal, I talk it out, thanks to the amazing people and friends around me who allow me to do it. I’m not afraid to talk about mental health, suicide, in order to help breaks it’s taboo and stigma.

 Mental health is everyone's business. No one is immune to having a bad day or developing a mental illness, and not a single one us can say we dont know a single person who hasn't been affected by it. It's okay not to be okay. As always, my door is always open to those who need it.