My first half-marathon was the University of Bristol student half-marathon when I was in the second year of my studies, and it was hard! Since then, I have kept running on and off, but have increased how much I run in the last three years or so. I always come back home from a run with such a positive mental attitude and I find I can tackle so much of what life throws at me. I am therefore privileged to be able to support Healthy Minds, knowing that many students are able to know that benefit for themselves with the help of the Healthy Minds initiative.

I ran my first marathon in June 2026, in the Arctic Circle. It was a surreal experience running at midnight on the longest day of the year. The event was small and there can hardly be a greater contrast between the serenity of the fjords at midnight and the exciting clamour and energy of the London marathon! I'm hugely looking forward to it, and will do all I can to train well so that I can do myself and my university proud while raising money for this worthwhile cause.

I will appreciate every pound you can donate and will honour your generosity by showing all the tenacity I can find in the face of the inevitable physical pain and mental anguish this wonderful event will give me! Thank you so much.

The mental health and wellbeing of students at the University of Bristol is a key priority. Suffering with mental ill health disrupts students' academic studies and personal lives, often causing them to miss out on the transformative and enriching experiences offered by higher education.

Physical activity is linked to positive mental wellbeing and can help people combat mental health issues. Bristol launched Healthy Minds in 2016 with this knowledge at the heart of it. The scheme provides students with a 12-week programme of free support, including unlimited access to university exercise facilities and activities and a dedicated exercise mentor who works with them 1:1 throughout.

Healthy Minds has supported over 700 students to date, and in 100% of cases is responsible for an improvement in perceived wellbeing.

Donations support what core funding cannot. Every pound you give will help to improve the quality and quantity of support offered.