Thankyou for taking the time to visit my JustGiving page.

As some of you may know, tragically, this time last year I lost my brother-in-law Jon Thompson due a sudden mental health crisis. Jon was a joyful, enthusiastic and caring part of our family and is sorely missed. He inspired me many years ago to take up a lot of the outdoor pursuits I enjoy today such as mountain walking, climbing and mountainbiking. My life would certainly not be as exciting and energetic had it not been for Jon's influence.

The loss of Jon devastated those who knew and loved him, especially his wife, my sister Belinda who I could not be more proud of for coping the way she has. One year on and none of us can still really believe that such a vibrant and energetic person could be taken so quickly by an illness that very few people can understand.

Mental health problems are incredibly common with nearly 1/3 people suffering per year and with suicide remaining the largest cause of death in men under 35. For this reason I have chosen to support Mind, as they are a charity dedicated to providing advce and support, with the aim that no-one should face a mental health crisis alone. For more information on Mind, please visit:

http://www.mind.org.uk/

Owing to Jon's love of the great outdoors and infectious enthusiasm regardless of the rain, freezing temperatures, wind, mud etc... it felt more than appropriate to enter the Tough Mudder event in his memory and raise money to try to prevent tragedies like this in the future.

For those that don't know, Tough Mudder events are hardcore 12 mile-long obstacle courses designed by the Special Forces to test your all around strength, stamina, mental grit, and camaraderie.

This involves swimming in ice pits, 10,000 volt electric shocks, heights, climbing, crawling, running and of course mud along with a lot of unknowns! For more information and of course a good laugh at my expense, please see:

http://toughmudder.co.uk/

This is going to be hard. Very hard.

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