In 2018, I became one of the first Movember Student Ambassadors at my University and I’ve since gone on to become both a Workplace and Sports Ambassador.
Over the years, I’ve taken on many weird and wonderful challenges in the name of men’s health. I’ve ran the New York Marathon and the London Landmarks Half Marathon. Shaved my head. Ran 94km in 24 hours. Got a Movember tattoo. And took on the Yorkshire Three Peaks Challenge.
I began raising funds and awareness for Movember for a similar reason to many other Mo Bros and Mo Sisters around the world — I’ve witnessed those close to me struggle with their physical and mental health. Often on their own, because they feel unable to speak out and get the help they need.
" I Mo because I was one of those men who didn’t reach out when they should’ve done. "
I’d always dreamed of going to university once I’d finished school, but I found academia challenging.
After struggling with exams and not getting the grades I needed to progress, I decided to retake a year.
Mentally, that year, I struggled. Watching friends go off travelling, or starting university, whilst I was stuck at home. I blamed myself for being in that position as I hadn’t been ‘good enough’ to achieve what I wanted.
Now, I can look back and be proud of the path I took, because I gave myself the best chance possible to achieve my goals. I also now know I could’ve made it easier for myself, had I not felt ashamed of talking about how I was feeling.
I feel so passionate about Movember — what it represents and how the charity goes about improving men’s health. Too often, men feel like they can’t speak about their physical and mental health issues because of the stigma, and therefore they don’t get the help they need.
The Yorkshire Three Peaks Challenge
The first year, I was nervous going into it. I didn’t know anybody. My nerves soon disappeared as I discovered one of the best parts of taking on this challenge; not only was I completing a unique challenge in beautiful surroundings, I was doing so in a group of like-minded people, all of whom had their own reasons for trekking around the Yorkshire Dales.
The environment allowed a group of strangers to chat openly about their lives and why they were taking on the challenge. This reinforced to me why Movember’s work is so important.
Projects such as Ahead of the Game, Nuts and Bolts and True North, are giving men the space to feel comfortable talking about their mental health as well as educating about testicular and prostate cancer.
At the end of the day, I'd hiked nearly 40km and climbed over 1700m. I felt exhausted yet elated. I'd completed the challenge, with the bonus of creating new friendships along the way.
There's no doubt it's a tough challenge. But it's one I'd 100% recommend taking on to raise funds and awareness for men's health. I was even able to convince my dad and younger brothers to join me the second time around.
Join us for the next Yorkshire Three Peaks challenge. Take on the mighty peaks of Pen-y-Ghent, Whernside and Ingleborough. Extra challenge – see if you can pronounce them...