Hi, I’m Melissa - most who know me call me Mel 😊

Below are my reasons for wanting to run the London Marathon for MIND but since setting up this page - I have gained a running buddy……Baasit Siddiqui aka The Hubby!

So we have raised our target - we are hoping to complete this Marathon together & still married 😆🤞

If you scroll past my text - you will find his ☺️

My story:

I can’t believe I’ve actually managed to secure a place in the TCS London Marathon 2025. I'm not going to lie when I received the email….. I did have abit of a panic & wondered what I had done 😅😆 but this is something I’ve always wanted to do.

I applied for a charity place with MIND because in all honesty…I can’t imagine running for anyone else. It had to be to support Mental Health & MIND is a fantastic charity helping to raise funds to provide help, guidance & resources for everyone & anyone who needs it. They quite frankly save lives!

I have reached out & used the MIND website on several occasions over the years to find information & help.

Mental Health has had a massive impact on my life for as long as I can remember…I have watched my little sister grow up struggling with a unstable personality disorder (which was not diagnosed until later on in her life) resulting in many years of anxiety, depression & some really dark suicidal moments.

My other sister was also diagnosed with severe pre-natal anxiety, depression & OCD whilst carrying my nephew. Which resulted in hospital care & treatment throughout her pregnancy & following his birth.

And my mum (who is an extremely private person but happy for me to share her story) also suffered with post natal depression & after watching her daughters struggle with their mental illnesses & whilst juggling a very stressful job - she reached some incredibly low points & experienced severe episodes of depression.

Myself I have suffered with post-natal depression with both my children - the second time was also during lockdown. Those dark moments are moments in my life I will never forget.

As a family we have experienced some really dark & difficult times over the years & we have had to really work on developing skills to allow ourselves to step out those dark times and move forward.

Our battles are with us daily & every day we work hard to overcome them.

I now understand the importance on looking after your mental health just as you would your physical health!

I don’t think we can EVER raise enough awareness & money for such a fantastic cause but I will do my absolute best to support MIND & reach my fundraising target by making sure I complete the TCS London Marathon 2025 (one way or another). 💪🏻💜

I am not a runner…..I have tried so many times over the years to get into running and it has never stuck…but I started running in January of this year & I’m making progress and I’m determined to give it everything I can to train & complete this marathon! 🏃🏻‍♀️

Thank you for taking the time to read the above & supporting me as I take on this challenge. I’m eternally grateful ❤️

Love

Mel xxx

Baasit’s Story:

I’ve had the privilege of experiencing running the London Marathon before but to have the opportunity to share this experience with my wife is very special.

I know first hand that Mel is completely out of her comfort zone - having only started her running journey in January 2024. As you can see from her story, running for Mind is very close to her and her families heart, so I’m honoured to be supporting her and Mind in raising money and awareness.

Although most people reading my story will know me from television, my day job for the past fifteen years has been in education. For over ten years I worked as a full time teacher and for the last five years I’ve worked across education with teachers, children and families.

One thing that continues to be highlighted in all my work is the growing mental health crisis. The work Mind does to raise awareness and smash mental health stigmas has never been more important and I know how prevalent the crisis of mental health challenges is across the education landscape.

Whether it’s teacher workload, social media challenges in children or parents mental health struggles due to the cost of living crisis - it’s clear to see people need help more than ever!

That is why I’m proud to be running the 2025 London Marathon with my wife to raise money for such an amazing cause 💙

See you on the other side 🤞

Baasit 👍