Thanks for taking the time to visit my JustGiving page.

I am running the London marathon in April 2024 in aid of the wonderful mental health charity mind.

I am running for mind to help highlight the amazing work they do each day to raise vital funds to help run an amazing source of help for those suffering with their mental health.

I have suffered my very own real battle with mental health in the past.

Unfortunately i hit a very low peak in my personal life which i struggled to deal with. I used to be extremely afraid to share or talk about my experience but i have become aware that this is now so important and so vital.

I had some things happen in my life which caused me to fall into a bad state of depression. I was putting on a brave face each day only to be suffering inside more and more.

My routine in my personal life was bad. I was coming home and sleeping after work and laying in the pitch black for hours. I would often then get up maybe eat a bit of toast and either stay up most the night or go straight back to laying in the dark.

I was often in tears and would lay in bed thinking of dark thoughts and way's in which i could exit the world. I would take walks late which then started to lead me to buy alcohol. I would go and drink all the beers I'd bought on a bench alone in the dark and then make my way home in the early hours. I would then sleep a few small hour's and go back to work. Sometimes at work i would have to go and hide in the toilet to cry as i just felt broken.

This went on for a good while until it all culminated to a point of no more.

I was out with friends one night drinking. When we all said our goodbyes i walked off and just burst into tears. My legs took me to a near by motorway bridge and i sat on top of the rail crying and wanting to just go. I wanted out!

Thankfully something in my head stopped me. And in the coming day's i told it "I've had enough. I will beat you" and i set out on a mission to change my life back round.

With small steps and later on with the help of seeing a professional counsellor i managed to destroy that cycle and put my life back on to a happy road.

I discovered running in that time also and it was a huge key to unlocking that head and making me feel better. I ran and ran and it eventually took off and i was running races and then a marathon and then two half marathons. And now im crazy enough to be heading to another marathon!

Running was a huge escape. I want to use it again here to absolutely highlight mental health issues men's mental health issues and the staggering figure's of male suicide.

I know I've done London marathon 2022 but this doesn't mean this will be easy.

I am going to be training harder , fighting harder and looking to beat my 2022 time.

Last time out I ran for others. This time im running for me! To take my story full circle and to show better day's do come and bad time's do not last forever.

Any donations for this wonderful charity will be mych appreciated.

I look forward to sharing my journey with you 💙