On 5th August, I am leaving Talacre Beach, on the north coast of Wales, to walk to Cardiff on the south coast - a journey of over 250km. My aim is to raise money for the Royal British Legion and Young Minds.

When I was young I was interested in military history, especially the 20th century. As I grew older I decided I wanted to join the military and became a cadet. I took part in Remembrance Day parades and helped with the Poppy Appeals. In 2019 there were 18 suicides in the UK armed forces, and 10% of serving personnel were suffering from PTSD. I think this is very disturbing, and now I want to do something more for the people who have served and suffered.

As military veterans suffer mental illness, so do young people, especially with the pandemic. As you read this, 1 in 12 people between the ages of 12 and 21 will self harm in the UK, and 80,000 young people have severe depression. At 17, I am one of them. In planning this adventure I am giving myself a challenge to work for with the goal of supporting other young people who struggle with depression and might feel they have nobody to turn to.

Follow on Instagram for updates: https://www.instagram.com/wales_north2south/