In July 2026, I’ll be running coast-to-coast across the Trans Pennine Trail — starting on the west coast in Southport and finishing on the east coast in Hornsea. It’s 335km in seven days, and I’m doing it to raise awareness around alcohol use and the pressures that come with it.

I’ll be supported along the way by my best mate, Liam. We’ve both recently hit a year sober, but that’s only part of the story. Two years ago, we were both overweight, couldn’t even jog up the stairs without getting out of breath, and were stuck in a cycle that was dragging our mental health down. Alcohol amplified the worst of it — the low days, the lack of direction, the feeling of being permanently on the back foot.

Even when I started my fitness and weight-loss journey in January 2024, I was still drinking now and again. Every time I went out, it set me back. I’d have a good run, feel like I was making progress, then one night would knock me straight into a few dark days after it. Even after losing weight and changing so much physically, I didn’t feel like I’d actually changed inside while alcohol was still in the picture. It felt like I still had one foot in my old life and the risk of slipping back was always there.

That’s why this challenge means something. I’m the one doing the running, but it’s a shared journey — two normal lads who pulled themselves out of a place they didn’t want to be in, proving what’s possible with a bit of honesty, consistency and discipline.