On 25th April I will be taking on my first ultra-marathon in memory of my Dad and will be raising money for Mind. 

As my friends and family will know, my Dad, David Mason, passed away in October 2019 after a near life long battle with mental illness and addiction. He died at age 61 from exactly these causes which is why I want to raise money and awareness for Mind. 

Treatment and understanding for mental health has historically been pretty terrible and there’s a lot of work that still needs to be done. However, had the societal stigma and accessibility to treatment been what it is now during the time when my Dad was at critical points in his illness, I would like to think his illness wouldn’t have spiralled to the point where it became fatal. It’s important that this area of health continues to improve and this can only be done through funding. 

My Dad passed away a few months before the world was shaken by the Covid-19 pandemic. Since then, mental illness has become increasingly more present across all age groups and the need for support from charities such as Mind has drastically grown. 

Not only does Mind support and give information to those in need, it also campaigns for government change around mental health issues, such as NHS funding and mental health statutory sick pay. Mind’s services are vital at this moment and the more donations they receive, the more they can help those of us struggling during the pandemic and beyond. 

My ultra-marathon will be a solo one (as I don’t want to sign up to an event that will get cancelled) and will be 50km/31 miles. It’s a daunting distance and even more so without crowds or even any other runners. 

I would be hugely grateful for any donations towards this feat to help Mind help the 1 in 4 people in the UK struggling with a mental illness. 

Thank you
Emily