My journey with mental health has been a long road with many bumps. Whilst taking part in the Hackney Half marathon challenge has been bred out of personal struggle, it’s been a blessing. It’s been a way for me to give back to my male friends. Friends who have experienced their own problems over the years, yet have unequivocally supported me during my hardest times.
Finding Movember
Throughout my time at University, I volunteered with some truly amazing people for an organisation called HeadsUp. This was a student led group that devoted time and energy to help fellow students. It was here that I was introduced to Movember. I met some beautiful people who spurred me on to speak about my mental health and demonstrated how we can support others.
Avoiding crutches
I have a pretty good knack for injuring myself through sport. I settled on running, because I deemed it to have the lowest opportunity to put me back on crutches...which has happened several times from various forms of exercise.
This proved to be a fantastic choice. The running community is so supportive (shameless shout out my favourite run club - The Say Yes Club!) and I thoroughly enjoy the social side as well as pushing my body to new physical limits.
A local challenge
I chose to join the Hackney Half Marathon as its local to me and I wanted a challenge to push myself physically, as well as give back to the community.
Preparing for the challenge was tough, but it became a positive part of my routine.
Living in Hackney you’re spoilt for choice on where you can run. I spent a lot of time running up and down the canal, listening to that one bloke on his boat blasting garage at 2pm on a Monday afternoon - Hackney locals know who I mean.
Hackney and Haribos
When it came to the event day, I was excited, but nervous.
It was a hot day, but the volunteers came out in force to provide us with water and refreshments. Locals assisted with tubs of Haribo sweets to give us a boost.
I was knackered afterwards, but I crossed the finish line with my best mate whilst our friends cheered us on. It felt so rewarding. The Hackney Half has this genuine sense of community that you can’t fabricate and is an incredible vibe.
It's so important to challenge yourself to promote positive self-change. The Hackney Half is the culmination of a journey to bettering yourself and your mental health. These kinds of events are so important as they celebrate all the hard work you do and act as a reflection of the positive changes you can make in your life.
Take the plunge
To anybody who might be hesitating to take the plunge, do it! Hollie and the team at Movember made my Hackney Half an unforgettable experience (and not just because they had free beer waiting for me at the end). I’ve met so many likeminded people through signing up and made so many positive life changes in the process.
Feeling ready for a new challenge? Sign up with Movember and run the Hackney Half for men’s health.