On Sunday 14th April 2024 I will be taking on my biggest physical challenge to date and will be participating in the Manchester marathon. As I prepare for this challenge both physically and mentally (I am absolutely bricking it!), I am also choosing to dedicate my efforts to a cause that is extremely close to my heart, mental health, with a specific focus on men’s mental health. Inspired by Mind’s powerful report, ‘Get It Off Your Chest’ (if you haven’t yet read it, I recommend you do!), I am driven to make a difference by both raising awareness and money to support Mind and the fantastic work they do on a daily basis.

The urgency of this cause became painfully clear to me on Sunday 9th April 2023, almost exactly a year to the date I’ll be running the marathon, when my entire world was turned upside down as I witnessed an immediate family member try to take his own life. This attempt came after months of battling his inner demons, where he felt unable to seek help or ‘speak up’ about what he was experiencing due to a silence imposed by ‘societal norms’ of ‘masculinity’. What really scares me is that none of us knew this was happening. From the surface he appeared fine. I later realised that he didn’t feel that he could speak up about what he was going through until it was almost too late, which is something that still haunts me to this day.

I will never in my lifetime forget rushing him to A&E early hours of the morning, staying with him in the mental health room unable to take my eyes off him in fear he would try to harm himself. Nor will I forget the following 13 weeks of visits to the Mental Health Hospital where he was admitted, Clock View, where I found out the true extent of his suffering and watched as medical professionals tried to reverse the damage that months of silence caused (I will never be able to thank the staff enough for the support they gave him and us as a family during those months). The entire time he was in hospital and even now I face the reality of what ‘could have been’, if we hadn’t have been there that night. We were fortunate enough to be there and get him to the right place to start receiving the support he needed, the support he is still receiving to this day, but it could have been a very different outcome. Knowing that he suffered in silence for so long but felt that he couldn’t speak up in fear of being judged for talking about his feelings and worries absolutely breaks my heart and I’m committed to raising awareness and removing this stigma that has affected the lives of so many for far too long.

Witnessing his struggle and knowing that he is just one of many who face this issue has ignited a fire within me to challenge these ‘norms’ and create a more compassionate world where everyone feels safe and able to share their struggles openly.

This has been one of the hardest things I’ve ever had to write and has brought back all of those emotions from this last year. Your support for this campaign would honestly mean the world to me. Moreover, it could be the catalyst for change that saves lives, offers hope to those who feel trapped in darkness and encourages people to seek the support they deserve.

Join me as I lace up my running shoes so we can run together towards a future where people feel able to speak out and access the support they deserve. Also please wish me luck, I’ll need it 😅