I started running in 2019 as a pretty much beginner who had never gone further than 5K (Race for Life 2016). But I've surprised myself and well and truly caught the running bug. 

Park Run's at Exhibition Park soon became a go-to way to spend a Saturday morning and/or Great Run Local at Gibside on a Sunday.

Before I knew it I pushed myself and entered a handful of 10K events and then my biggest running achievement to date was a 10 mile race. After crossing that finish line I knew the next challenge now would be a Half Marathon.

There was no question about it that it just had to be The Great North Run. What better place than in Newcastle, the city I have been proud to call my home now for the past 6 years. 

When I started looking into signing myself up I discovered that the next Great North Run was to be extra special as it would be celebrating it's 40th Anniversary in 2020. 

This also happens to be a significant year to me and my family as on the 9th of July 2020 it marks 20 years since we have been without my Dad, Stuart Wilson. 

I was only 5 years old when my Dad must have made the hardest decision possible to take his own life. As a child trying to grasp any kind of understanding towards suicide and mental health was pretty much impossible.

5 years was barely enough time to know someone, especially when it’s the first 5 years of your life. It’s hard now for me to tell what genuine memories I actually have. Or what I’ve just created in my head from stories I’ve heard or photos I’ve seen. One memory I’m pretty sure of was him taking me to my first Liverpool game and shouting for our fave Robbie Fowler. For them to lose and him to joke that he wouldn’t bring me and Mum again. Sadly, that turned out to be the case and I didn’t get another trip to Anfield with him. But that place and team are now so important to me. They’re the one thing that make me feel connected to him. How I wish he could see the team of today. And to know I’ve supported them whole heartedly ever since he left! 

Grief is so different for everyone and for a lot of people they miss having that person in their life. For me that was such a small part of my life now that I miss the memories I never got to or ever will get the chance to make. 

Now as an adult, not too much younger than he was when he left this world too soon, I just wish he had felt able to reach out and seek help. Because of this I have made the decision to run the Great North Run for MIND in his memory.

Suicide is the leading cause of death for men under 45 in the UK. Every day 13 men take their lives leaving behind their family and friends. By fundraising for Mind, I am raising money for a charity that strives to bring us closer to a world where no one faces a mental health problem alone. 

(I was supposed to be running the The Great North Run on the 13th September 2020 but due to COVID-19 it has been postponed until 12th September 2021.)

Thank you so much for taking the time to visit my fundraising page. Any contributions would mean the absolute world to me.