This Christmas I am going to be running a full marathon around the Island of Nevis. I have always been interested in doing a physical challenge when out there for charity, and after my experience with A-levels and events during and just after COVID this seems like the perfect year to complete this Challenge.

The charity I would like to support for this is Young Minds as during and after COVID I had struggled, especially in the build up to A-levels. I believe the reason why I had struggled so much is because the last set of proper exams I would have taken before this would have been entrance exams into the schools during year 8, more than five years before A-levels. So having missed proper GCSE’s, then going on to do full on exams that would determine the next three years of my life and possibly more had got to me mentally. This resulted in me putting too much pressure on myself to do well and in return had led to the downfall in my mental health to the point where I had become too anxious to even go to school during revision periods before A-levels, even now when I go to, or past the school some of these emotions will come back now. This in the end had resulted in me not getting the grades needed for my selected universities, however this is not something I am disappointed by as am having some of my best times here at Swansea.

Along with this, in October of 2021 one of my closest friends committed suicide due to poor mental health after coming out of COVID, this is another large reason why I am choosing to support this charity for in 2017, one in nine teenagers would suffer from mental health but in 2021 that has changed to one in six. Suicide is also the top cause of death for teenagers, and nearly half of teenagers (17-19) with a diagnosable mental health condition have at some point attempted to take their own life.

So, in supporting this charity I am hoping to help not only increase awareness for the struggles of mental health but also allow more people access to help whether that be from professionals, or close friends and family being educated on how to help and support teenagers through tough periods they might be having.

Any donations or support would be greatly appreciated!

Much love Lorcan xx