Hello, Alex here! Most of you will know me as a Costume and Knitwear Maker working for the last decade in the Film and TV industry, skulking around costume departments or chatting near the kettle. 

Others may know me only by my infamous sporting prowess. Namely when I took a cheeky shortcut during a cross country PE lesson; and accidentally ran 'such a quick time' that I got entered into the Essex County Athletics Championships where I was part of the relay team. Unfortunately, on race day I was so busy paying attention to how actual sporty people around me behaved, that I didn't notice the gun firing for the start of our race. I was not very popular after that and learnt my lesson about shortcuts. 

Suffice it to say, I am not sporty. I was always picked last for sports teams and I am far more at home sat behind a sewing machine than on a saddle sweating it out in a spin class.

So why am I running the marathon this October?

The Film and TV charity was introduced to me by an amazing medic on a job where I was particularly struggling. It can be very scary to suffer with mental illness, even more so at work, even more so when work is your dream job in an industry where word of mouth and recommendation alone keeps you employed. After doing some research I was shocked to discover that 9 out of 10 people working in my industry had experienced a mental health problem, and 55% of respondents to a study conducted by the charity into the crisis had considered taking their own lives.  

The Film and TV charity has a 24/7 support line, it has access to counselling, it has directions to courses on how to help those on your team who might be finding things hard, and it shows that we are not alone and it is okay to admit that there are bad days. The resources supplied by the charity and the advice from the medic that day made me brave enough to tell people what was going on. And I was so incredibly supported by my team and bosses as soon as I did. I wish I had spoken out earlier.

So this is for anyone whose brain tells them they aren't good enough, that others are better, that they can't do something and they should give up. My brain told me once that I could never run a marathon.

Just watch me!

Please donate if you are a fan of film and television, if our shows helped you through lockdown, if you would like to support the important work this charity is doing, or if you just enjoy the thought of me huffing along miming to Ed Sheeran for 5 hours.

Thanks everyone,

Alex

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