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Last year I attempted the Dragons Back Race, the world's toughest mountain race https://www.dragonsbackrace.com/ raising money for Newport Mind and Festival Branch of Samaritans. I managed to complete day one successfully, timing out on Day 2, then running half days on day 3, 4 and 5 finishing off running the whole of day 6. One of the things that had a huge impact on me, as well as the race, last year, was that three weeks before the event a very close friend, Richard Matz, sadly died after a short illness.

I met Richard when I joined Festival Branch of Samaritans and shortly after we became friends, a friendship that grew and developed over the next 30 plus years, so anything I raise I do so in Richard's memory. Richard lived life on his terms and that at times required great determination to overcome the barriers in his way, so hopefully on my second attempt at the Dragon's Back Race I can mirror his determination and be successful.

I have worked with people with mental health problems for over 20 years and for the last 12 years as CEO of Newport Mind. Two years after starting work at Newport Mind I experienced a cardiac arrest whilst out running training for the London Marathon luckily the first person on the scene knew what to do and saved my life by starting CPR immediately. I arrested twice more in the ambulance was placed in an induced coma for four days, was out of hospital in less than two weeks and back engaged with work in less than a month officially returning within three months.

I have run more marathons since the cardiac arrest than I did before. Last year I started running ultra marathons including my first attempt at the Dragon's Back Race. I am hoping to mark this ten year anniversary with success in the Dragon's Back Race.

I know the difference that the work of the staff and volunteers of Newport Mind makes to the lives of people with mental health problems, I know how dramatically the need for our services has increased over the past few years and I know how much of difference donations can make to the support we are able to provide.

I am committed to getting to Cardiff and completing the race successfully. I am in no doubt about the scale of the challenge that faces me, especially after my experience last year, but it pales into insignificance compared to the challenges people with mental health problems face.

Your support will encourage me but more importantly it will mean you can make a difference to the lives of people struggling with mental health problems. I am hoping that my efforts will in some small way raise the profile of mental health letting people know that Mind and Samaritans are always there for people to turn to for help and support.

I appreciate that people are facing increasing financial pressures in their lives and anything that you can donate will be massively appreciated by the people who use our services.

Donating through JustGiving is simple, fast and totally secure. Your details are safe with JustGiving - they'll never sell them on or send unwanted emails. Once you donate, they'll send your money directly to the charity. So it's the most efficient way to donate - saving time and cutting costs for the charity.