My name is Alicia, I’m also know as Liss or Lissy and I am a 25 year old woman with a story that I am sharing in honour of suicide prevention month.

I always find it difficult to write these things so pl ease bear with me.

At 16, I tried to end my life. I truly believed I’d never live to see adulthood, never mind my 25th birthday. The idea of adulthood never crossed my mind, because I didn’t believe I’d ever reach it. But here I am, 9 years later…Running, surviving, and proving to myself that the story I thought was over is still being written.

The years since have been anything but easy. I’ve battled a self harm addiction, carried the burdens of trauma, and still live every day with the reality of mental illness. Antidepressants, therapy, and safety plans have been my lifelines when I couldn’t see a way forward. There are still nights that feel endless, and days that feel unbearably heavy; but I keep going.

This isn’t a sob story. It’s reality — the reality that so many people face in silence. I’ve chosen to break my silence, again, because I believe in pushing for better. Better support, better awareness, and better futures for people who are still fighting battles they don’t always feel able to share. There are millions of people just like me, living in silence and desperate for help.

I also know too well how underfunded and overstretched mental health services are. Too many people are left waiting, unheard, or convinced there’s no way out. That’s why I’m running for Mind, because no one should ever feel they have to fight this battle alone.

This run is for the 16 year old me who thought she wouldn’t make it. It’s for everyone who has ever felt hopeless. It’s for those we’ve lost, and for those still fighting in silence.

Every mile I run is a reminder that survival is possible. That healing is possible. That life, even with its pain — can still be full of love, strength, and moments worth staying for.

Which is why I am running the Sheffield half marathon AND the Roche Abbey Ramble. 26 Miles for the 26 years of survival.

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