Mo Bro Anil Toraty To Run 465km To Raise Money For Mens Mental Health Next Month

It’s widely accepted that men find it more difficult to talk about their mental health, and some of the stats are worrying… So I aim to run 465km in November to raise money for Men’s Mental Health.

I’m no stranger when it comes to anxiety and panic attacks. In my 20s, I suffered from depression. I also started having suicidal thoughts until my early thirties which, fortunately, at the time, I managed to overcome. However, that doesn’t necessarily mean you will find it easier next time as I have recently found out after a ten-year relationship came to an end which turned my world upside down.

I lost confidence in myself and as time went on self-doubt started to creep in. Was I good enough? Was I good enough as a boyfriend? An employee? As a person? Turns out I was leading three lives. One where I was trying to save what I thought was left in my relationship. Another where I was pushing myself at work and running myself into the ground. And finally, the one I felt was the most real – a life full of sadness and heartbreak, constant overthinking clouded by anger and frustration. I was trying to compartmentalise each life so that I could function at a level I thought was my best. Only through my counselling sessions, I was able to work through some of my battles. I’ve learnt a lot about myself this year from understanding balance to recognizing the importance of self-care and well-being.

Running to me is my coping mechanism for managing my anxiety and this year especially, it is helping me overcome a really challenging chapter in my life.

Next month, I will be doing consecutive km per day to raise funds for Movember, starting at 1km on the 1st, and building up to 30 km on the 30th. I will run a total of 465 km and the equivalent of nine half marathons for the last 9 days of November. The purpose of my run is to represent we can only keep going so long on our own before we need help – a true representation of how I, and many others, have dealt with mental health.

Why did you decide to support Movember?

Back when I was living in Australia, I started working with Beyond Blue – an Australian mental health and wellbeing support organisation – and was part of their advisory board, developing new programs to support people with depression. When I finally moved to the UK, I wanted to get involved with a mental health charity again and Movember felt the perfect fit for me, personally. I have the ultimate respect for all mental health charities, but Movember’s focus on Men’s Health really hits home. To this day, men still barely talk about how they feel, what they are going through in life and the difficulties they experience when trying to open up. For that reason, while I run next month, apart from raising money for Movember, I want to engage with people who run with me and speak to them about the importance of mental health and reaching out.

You can donate, join me for a run and follow my journey here.