I am running the London Marathon for Mind!! I am really honoured to be fundraising for this charity, as Mind are one of the UK’s leading charities focusing on supporting people to have better mental health. All donations will go to national Mind and their focus on supporting people with mental health problems, advocating to government for change and better outcomes to mental health services, and continuing the fight to raise awareness for the impact of mental health problems and reducing the stigma that surrounds them.

Why I am running for Mind

I believe that society has come a long way on the topic, and discussing mental health and the impact of mental health problems is far more common and supported. However, I fear we all have examples of the truly devastating impact that poor mental health can still have. I will be running the London Marathon in memory of my childhood friend, Alex. We found out that Alex took his own life at the age of 27, following a horrible combination of life pressures and bad news making him feel like there was no other option. Finding out that a person I knew, who in my memories was so full of fun and silliness, could be left feeling like there was no other option, was a truly heart-breaking revelation to me. I had previously done some running fundraising for mental health charities, and so I knew the prevalence of mental ill health in young men and the importance of addressing it. Yet nothing could prepare me for the cold numbness finding out someone I knew had felt that way.

Alex and I were not in touch as much after school, going our own ways, but he always held a place of love and warmth in my memories. He was Skip, growing from a quiet boy at our primary school to the captain of our school rugby team, his relentless energy at scrumhalf driving us in the pack around the pitch. His tears when we lost the final of the County Plate with the last kick of the game made me love him for caring as much as I did, showing that sport and our journey as a team mattered, and it was okay to be emotional even when playing a game so renowned for macho-pride. As we moved on from rugby as we got older, Alex took up long-distance running and was extremely good at it. I can clearly hear his howling laughter when I suggested I’d train to beat him at the 5k, and to be fair he wasn’t wrong, I have never got close. He loved running Ironmans, Tough Mudders and marathons. Since learning of his passing, I now think of Alex most times I go for a run, and every time I wish he could have known all the love and care he evoked in me, and in every one of the friends who returned to remember him at his funeral. Therefore, I feel extremely grateful to be running the London Marathon for Mind, as the many miles of training will give me precious time remembering Alex, honouring him, and continuing to prove him right that he was a better runner than me.

Whilst this is my personal reason for wanting to focus on fundraising for better mental health in society, I know that this is sadly not an experience isolated to Alex’s family and friends. There have been sadly too many fathers, mothers, brothers, sisters, partners and friends who have been lost after taking their own lives, and there are many across society who continue to battle with mental health problems and the pervasive impact this can have on a life. It seems the world becomes more challenging with each passing year, with the cost of living rising, global conflicts escalating, the constant reminders of the suffering of the innocent, and uncertainty of what the future holds being imbedded into our thinking. This is all while the ups and downs of everyday life remain. As such, I think that the pressure on our mental health continues to be a challenge, and that no matter how much progress we make, we cannot be complacent. As a society we have a responsibility to work to support each other, to know our neighbour has access to the services and support they need to stay as healthy as we can be, whether physically or mentally.

Fundraising: Perks and Challenges (optional)

So, I really hope you will consider donating to my fundraising. Given that I felt running 26 miles was not punishment enough, I have outlined a perks and challenges list below, where I have aimed to provide you with some added incentive to support Mind with your hard-earned cash. You don’t have to choose a perk or a challenge for your donation, all will be happily received, it’s just an added element to make the fundraising… fun (sorry). If you can think of another silly, creative or just plain mean challenge for me to do, contact me on socials and name your price!

Perks and Challenges List

•     £30 to dedicate a mile to a loved one or person in your life who may have struggled with the mental health or taken their own life, with a ribbon with their name on it attached to me on race day (Max 26). Whilst I will be running in memory of Alex, I would be honoured to carry the memory of loved ones of others throughout the run.

•     £5 and a share on social media gets you stickers/a postcard, designed by Emma Phillips (@ephillps_art on Insta), an incredible artist who so happens to be a just as wonderful friend, and has agreed to donate her artistic time to create these.

•     £10 will get you a voice note from me, outlining all the reasons I think you are wonderful.

•     £15 allows you to select a song for my race playlist.

•     £20 will see you receive a specially selected, custom edited (think googly eyes galore) cool rock found on a run I’ve been on.

•     £25 to select 20 mins of my race playlist (max 5).

•     £40 to allow you to select me a ‘interesting’ meal deal to eat, followed directly by a 10-mile training run, with a meal rating pre- and post-run, with a video update every mile. (Max 5 runs)

•     £50 to select the route of a training run for me to do, with accompanying footage and tour guide voice over (10 miles) (Ideally UK based, but oversees locations can be negotiated) (max 5 runs)

•     £60 to receive a limited edition A3 giclee printed illustration (Max 1)

•     All £50+ donations will have a chance to be selected at random and receive Novak Djokovic’s towel I caught after he won the 2014 Wimbledon final (unwashed). Proof of origin is available upon request.

•     £500 for me to get a tattoo of your choice (public disclaimer: this must be non-offensive, sized no more than 5cm by 5cm, and in a mutually agreed spot. Please contact me before donating, because I am not getting ‘Doritos Cool Original’ across my forehead, and I would hate for you to waste your money. Hopefully it can also be tasteful, but I’m not holding out much hope on that front). (Max 2)

Contact me on:

Insta: gregorycooper_

Facebook:Gregory Cooper

Email: greg.1995@live.co.uk

Even if it is just for a chat, to catch up or share memories, or if you need someone to talk to for any reason, I’d be happy to hear from you. Stay well, and remember you are loved!

Details of Mind

When you're experiencing a mental health problem, supportive and reliable information can change your life. That's what we do. We empower people to understand their condition and the choices available to them through the following:

-Our Infoline, which offers callers confidential help for the price of a local call.

-Our Legal Line, which provides information on mental health related law to the public, service users, family members/carers, mental health professionals and mental health advocates.

-Our award-winning information, certified by the PIF Tick.

"Mind was such an invaluable source of information. I can't put into words how helpful they were for both of us..."