Thanks for taking the time to visit my JustGiving page.

My mum passed away last year after suffering from mental health issues for 20 years.

When I was younger, she brought-up me and my sisters for much of the time. My dad was a long-distance lorry driver so often worked away during the week. After teaching for many years, her life changed around the age of 50 when she suffered a breakdown.

This happened as I was turning 18. It should have been a time when she started enjoying a new chapter in her life. But unfortunately, she became more reclusive. She gradually dropped off the medical ‘radar’ and spent her later years living largely in seclusion.

Seeing her deteriorate from an active and strong person was hard to watch and ultimately just feels like such a waste of what potentially could have been.

Awareness of mental health has grown in recent years and the impact of pandemic lockdowns and restrictions have highlighted its widespread relevance. I think the pandemic will have an impact on mental health for a significant time to come. I feel that running the 50km Ultra Trail to support a mental health charity is the perfect tribute and will hopefully contribute towards helping other people in similar situations.

Thanks to anyone that has read this far and any donations will be greatly appreciated.

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