I am running the Royal Parks Half Marathon for the Mental Health Foundation, which is the UK’s charity for everyone’s mental health.

With prevention at the heart of what it does, the Mental Health Foundation aims to find and address the sources of mental health problems so that people and communities can thrive.

This cause is incredibly personal to me. I wasn't diagnosed with generalized anxiety disorder and ADHD until I was an adult. My entire life, I had coped and struggled at times with situations or tasks that others easily navigated. I battled imposter syndrome and feeling like I was failing, even when outwardly I looked like I was doing well most of the time, because I always felt like I was playing catch up or had fears that I couldn't quite face. Even when I was super successful, I was mentally drained. I masked and felt exhausted by daily life. The pandemic and the additional stresses and struggles that came with it finally pushed me to a point of crisis as I tried to cope.

Making the call to go to therapy changed my life. My diagnoses and treatment have helped me better understand how my brain works, what are reasonable expectations, what I need to feel well, and what resources I can use to help me in hard moments. And when things are harder, I also know when and how to seek additional help.

Running has also been a huge help in my mental health journey. It gives me a way to ground myself, it provides an outlet for extra energy, and it helps calm me, from both attention and anxiety perspectives. It isn't a replacement for appropriate mental health treatment, but it helps enhance it. Finding it and mental health treatment during the pandemic has enriched my life more than I could have ever imagined.

No one should have to struggle or ignore such an important part of their overall health. Good mental healthcare should be a resource everyone has access to and that people use early and as often as needed. I would love to have your support in raising funds and awareness to help ensure everyone thrives from a mental health perspective.