Hi, I’m Troy Broughton, and in 2025, I’m taking on a year-long mental and physical challenge to support Stem4, a life-changing mental health charity for young people which delivers clinically-validated mental health support to those who need it, no matter their background or circumstances completely free.

For 365 consecutive days, I’ll be pushing myself to complete either a 5k run, a 15km bike ride or 30 minutes on the Stairmaster (140 floors). This challenge however, ISNT about fitness, it's about discipline and mental resilience, values that are critical in overcoming life’s challenges.

Throughout my life I have suffered from a lot of the issues which Stem4 work so hard to support in young adults, some which I have overcome and some which I have to still manage every day. The majority of these issues ive had to tackle alone, coming from a single parent household with little to no resource. This is why raising money for Stem 4 can be critical to not just your journey, but also your children’s journey.

Stem4 provides free, accessible, and effective clinically-validated mental health support through groundbreaking apps like (but not limited to) Clear Fear (for anxiety), Calm Harm (for self-harm prevention), and Move Mood (for depression). These “digital psychologists” are in the pockets of young people, offering 24/7 support without barriers like cost or data requirements. In 2023 alone, Stem4’s apps prevented over 100,000 incidents of self-harm globally and helped countless families and friends navigate mental health struggles.

A challenge in todays mental health battle, is that a lot of support from external parties and the NHS, is that it’s reactive, Stem4 is here to drive proactive tools, awareness and support to prevent issues developing or leading to unfortunate endings.

Their Combined Minds app is especially powerful, designed to support parents, families, and friends of those struggling with mental health issues. It offers tailored guidance and tools to help loved ones better understand and assist the young people in their lives. Created by parents who tragically lost their children to these challenges, the app provides hope, connection, and support for families navigating difficult times.

For every £1 donated through my Just Giving page, you’re putting a psychologist in a young person’s pocket, helping them find hope and healing. Let’s show that mental health challenges can be beaten and that small, disciplined actions lead to big change. I encourage all of you to also start your own challenge, if there is something you have been thinking about but never finding that final push, write it down, put a time limit on it and START TODAY!

You can track my personal journey on Strava, contact me directly, join the wider conversation, or even start your own challenge. I will keep people in the loop monthly on the collective fund raising efforts and larger one off challenges I will tackle to continue to spread awareness. The longer the challenge continues, the more I hope to have you along for the journey. Together, we can create a movement for better mental health.

#Stem4 #MentalHealthMatters #365DayChallenge #TBStem4365

https://www.strava.com/athletes/5527211