This November, I’ll be taking on my biggest challenge yet: running 50KM every day, for 5 consecutive days.

5 Days. 5 Ultramarathons. One Mission.
To change the face of men’s mental health.

I’ll be rocking the Mo as a symbol of support for the men who are struggling, and as a reminder that it’s ok to not be ok.

My mission is to raise funds and awareness for men’s mental health and suicide prevention.

I’ve called this challenge The Distance Between Us.
The distance between saying “I’m fine” and admitting that we’re struggling.
Between putting on a brave face and allowing ourselves to be vulnerable.
Between a man suffering in silence, and finding the courage to ask for help.

Because sometimes, the hardest distance to overcome is the distance between how we feel on the inside, and what we’re willing to tell the people around us.
And for too many men, that distance becomes too great.

And I know what that feels like, because I’ve been there myself.

For years, I have battled with my own mental health. At my lowest I faced extreme lows, severe depression and crippling anxiety.

It was genuinely terrifying. I felt hopeless, trapped in my own mind, and like a burden to myself and the people around me.

There were times when I couldn’t see a way out of the darkness, and I reached a point where I didn’t want to keep living anymore.

For a long time, I struggled to understand and process how I was feeling and what I was thinking, so I just pretended I was fine.

But eventually, after reaching rock bottom, I found the courage to be open, honest and vulnerable. I admitted that I was struggling, spoke to my family and friends and reached out to my GP and a therapist for help.

Those conversations were terrifying, but they changed everything.
They saved my life.
They helped me realise that I didn’t have to face everything alone, and they stopped me from becoming another statistic.

That’s why I’m so passionate about speaking openly about mental health and sharing my journey.

I know what it’s like to feel lost, to feel like there’s no way out, and to struggle to see a future beyond the pain you’re experiencing. But I also know that things can change.

It genuinely chokes me up when I reflect on how far I’ve come. The person I was a few years ago would be so proud of the person I am today.

And if sharing my story helps even one man feel less alone, gives someone the courage to open up, or encourages someone to check in on a mate, then every kilometre will be worth it. I want other men to know that their story doesn’t have to end where their darkest days begin.

This will be the most physically challenging I have ever done.
But this is about so much more than the distance I’m running.

I will share the highs, the lows, and everything that comes in between.

To prove that you have the strength to endure your toughest battles, and because I believe there’s value in being honest about what we’re going through. We don’t have to pretend we’re invincible. We don’t have to have everything figured out. And we certainly don’t have to suffer in silence to prove we’re strong.

For me, this month is about breaking the stigma around men’s mental health, encouraging men to speak openly, and helping to change the statistics that I came so close to becoming part of.

It’s about reminding the men in our lives that they matter, that their feelings are valid, and that asking for help is never a sign of weakness.

So, if you’re reading this and you’re struggling, please know that you are not alone, no matter how much it might feel that way.

It’s ok to feel sad, anxious, confused, scared or hopeless.
You don’t have to be ashamed of how you feel, and you don’t have to wait until things become unbearable before reaching out.

Speak up, don’t man up.

I know how impossible life can feel when you’re in that darkness. But I’m living proof that things will change, nothing is ever permanent, and you deserve the chance to find that out for yourself.

You don’t have to see the whole way out. Sometimes, you just need to let someone help you take the next step.

Last year, you incredible people helped me raise almost £8,000.
This year, I’d love for us to go one step further and reach £10,000.

Every donation will help fund Movember’s work supporting men’s mental health and suicide prevention. Every share could help this message reach someone who needs to hear it. And every conversation we start could make a difference to someone who might otherwise struggle in silence.

You never know what someone is going through behind a smile, a joke or the words “I’m fine”. So check in on your mates. Ask twice. Listen properly. Make space for an honest answer.

This month is about raising money, starting conversations and helping to close The Distance Between Us.

Thank you for taking the time to read my story, for supporting this cause, and for being part of something that means so much to me.

Big love always,
Chenz