Thanks for taking the time to visit my JustGiving page.

So heres my story.....

I've struggled with my mental health since I was a teenager, primarily due to being bullied at school and family problems at the time. As my teenage years went on, I went through a period of self harming which continued for several years and at the time, there was little or no understanding of mental health.

In my early 40's, I was diagnosed with an anxiety disorder and put on various doses of anti-depressants to help control panic attacks, anxiety attacks, depression and mood swings. Until recently I was in control of these emotions, but then sadly, due to a combination of factors, I suffered several severe anxiety attacks and episodes of severe depression and it reached the stage where I left home with the intention to give up and end my life one evening.

Fortunately, my family and friends supported me and got me out of that mindset and afterwards, I heard about a charity callled MIND and realised that they were there to help me, with advice over treatments and ways to fight these emotions. I spent some time on their website, reading stories about others who felt the same as me and got treated for the same conditions, which made me feel less alone and more confident going forward. Luckily for me, my employers have a great network of support for mental health sufferers, however, not everyone who suffers like me have access to these services, this is where MIND comes in.

I love cycling, its a massive way for me to release my anxieties and feel better about myself, so after being accepted into the 2022 Ride London 100mile cycling event, I have decided to raise money for MIND to help others like me and say a massive 'I control my own mind' to my mental health.

I will also be undertaking a series of other cycling challenges throughout 2022, which will push my body and mind to their limits, probably surpassing them, but I won't quit!!

Challenge 1 - A virtual Everesting ride.

Challenge 2 - Cycling for 24hours - Red Bull Timelapse

Challenge 3 - Ride London 2022.

Challenge 4 - Cycling from dusk till dawn on June 21st.

Challenge 5 - Cycle a total of 10,000km in 2022.

Thanks for taking the time to read my story and please donate to help others who are like me.

Thanks