I was first diagnosed with depression in 1999, at the age of 19. Since then, I have noticed the taboos around the subject being steadily broken down, to the point where today it is pretty much normalised to discuss mental health issues in public forums.

However, the sector is hugely underfunded, and the current coronavirus crisis has exacerbated both the funding crisis, and the mental health of the nation in general. This is why I am backing Norman Lamb’s ‘Walk 500 Miles’ campaign to raise money for youth mental health provision in Norfolk.

Although I know there are many people of my generation and older who still need a great deal of support to manage their conditions, I believe that early intervention in young people’s mental health problems is absolutely vital to try to stop conditions continuing (and, in many cases, worsening) into adulthood.

I have experienced a wide range of medications, therapies and self-help solutions during the past two decades, but one failsafe solution for improving mental health is exercise. It’s often difficult to drum up the motivation to even get out of bed when you are in the grip of depression, but once you manage to get out there and do something, the endorphins kick in and you always end up feeling at least a little better than you did before.

I have been rather neglectful of my physical health in recent months, eating and drinking too much during the lockdown and doing very little exercise. When I heard about Norman’s campaign, I resolved to do something that would help both myself and my community. As such, I am going to attempt to cycle 500 miles during the month of August.

For an experienced road cyclist this would be a pretty straightforward task, but as I weigh around 16 stone (with a BMI of ‘obese’) and don’t have any cardiovascular fitness to speak of, this is one hell of a challenge for me to take on. Although 16 miles a day is eminently achievable in theory, the cumulative effects of muscle fatigue, saddle soreness, lack of cardio fitness and the mental challenges associated with overcoming these issues will make this an incredibly difficult challenge.

As well as reading updates here, you can follow my challenge on my Facebook fundraising page:
https://www.facebook.com/donate/212578003409497/

You call follow my Instagram account here:
https://www.instagram.com/matcolo1980

And I have a YouTube channel here: 
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCVEgw5ihTS0ADyQuNAxcTVA

Let's get riding!