At the very beginning of 2018, I started working for Parenting Mental Health, however mental health issues were sadly not new to me. Growing up it was never something that 'the lads' would talk about openly and emotions, anxieties and 'worrying thoughts' were bottled up and pushed to the back of the mind. 

Roughly a year before beginning work at PMH, one of my friends took his own life. This came as a complete shock to many people and is something that still plays on my mind today. 

I learned that 1 in 5 people in the UK suffer from at least one mental illness, and wondered, how many more of my friends are having to fight these battles on their own?

Naturally, we all go through rough periods in life, and I found myself struggling to deal with my own anxieties and bouts of depression. After watching my friend Joe complete the London Marathon in 2017 and listening to him declare that running a marathon was "the best feeling in the world", I was in awe not only of the achievement but also of the level of commitment and sacrifice that it took for him to even finish it!

I knew I had to do something to free my mind from the daily depressive slumps and lack of energy to handle even the simplest of tasks so I decided to start running...

Running was not an entirely foreign concept to me but since leaving school I had let myself spiral into my own thoughts and had prioritised self-medication over exercise.

Running has never been easy for me and to this day I still find it difficult, but it has taught me valuable life lessons in the form of patience, commitment and most importantly how to approach each new day with a positive mindset.

I want to show anyone who struggles with anxiety and depression that by setting yourself small goals you're able to conquer the daunting ones - one day at a time. If I can do it, so can you!

UPDATE:

Having finished the Edale Ring of Hell17-mile race, my next race in the PMH series will be the Odyssey Virtual Easter Marathon, taking place on Saturday 17th April!

It would mean the world to me if you could donate anything towards my cause, but also take 5 minutes out of your day to visit the Parenting Mental Health website or social media accounts. The charity works hard every day to spread mental health awareness and provide support for parents.

Thank you for taking the time to read this and If you would like to follow my journey, I will be posting regular training updates on my Strava account here.