In 2017, I tragically lost my best friend at the age of 16 to suicide. Since then, there has been a huge gap in my life left by the loss of this friendship.

She was the most insane person I had ever met and always managed to brighten my day. There are no words to describe the imprint that she made on me. She cared about everyone else so much more than herself and was the type of friend that didn’t come by very often. From that first ‘hello’ in year 7 to the final goodbye, she never failed to put a smile on my face and I feel extremely privileged to have been able to call her my best friend. And even though you’re not with us anymore, everyone loves you unconditionally and it has never been the same without you.

Life since hasn’t been an easy ride, but in more recent years, I have focussed on the memories I held with her rather than the loss that I have suffered. By prioritising my own mental health, and using the support I am lucky to have around me, I have since been able to continue with my own life, and live in a way that honours the life that she lived. One way of doing this, is fundraising for a charity that aids young people through many struggles that they may face, including mental health.

This year, I, along with some of Kiera's other friends and family will be taking on the Nuclear Rush, an assault course guaranteed to get you muddy. I am doing this for "The Mix" who are an amazing charity for young adults, who help with all the life challenges children come up against from videos to one on one chat, Mental Health to drugs and homelessness.