I am proud to have been selected to run the TCS London marathon for MIND on Sunday 27 April 2025. On 20th October 2022 I lost my twin brother to suicide. As well as losing Tariq, I also lost part of myself that day that I will never get back. Not only do I have to live with the trauma everyday but the huge sense of loss.

In 2021, there were over 5,000 suicides registered in England. Suicide is the biggest killer of people under the age of 35 and the biggest killer of men under the age of 50. Around three quarters of deaths from suicides each year are men. The Samaritans answer a call for help every 10 seconds, and tragically, around every 90 minutes someone dies from suicide in the UK alone.

These statistics can show the scale of the problem and the need for change. However, they cannot describe the impact of the tragic loss of someone so close to you, and so important to your life.

MIND is a fantastic organisation and has helped me through the darkest and most complicated parts of my life. They have given me opportunities which I never believed were possible. No matter what struggles mentally that you are suffering from, MIND has a team of people who will listen to you in confidence and help provide the resources needed to deal with your problems, no matter how unbearable they may seem and how overwhelming they may feel. There is light at the end of the tunnel.

I am running this marathon for both me and Tariq, and to raise awareness of the severity and ongoing stigma about mental health, in particular in men. My mission is to not only to raise awareness of the severity of the problem and the need to seek help, but to make sure that suicide should never have to be an option. There is no shame in asking for help.

Keep an eye open for fundraising events which I will be holding and feel free to donate on this just giving page.