I’m taking on an Ironman-distance triathlon to raise money for BTG Mind Matters, but for me, this isn’t just a challenge. It’s a comeback story.

From 2020 onwards, I completely lost myself.

I gained 5 stone, stopped training, and I genuinely believed I’d never feel strong, capable, or confident again. I didn’t recognise the person I’d become, physically or mentally.

And now, in less than 9 months, I’m going from someone who couldn’t run 5k, who had never even ridden a road bike… to attempting an Ironman-distance triathlon:

2.4 miles of swimming, 112 miles on the bike, and a full 26.2-mile marathon.

Why? Because I need to show myself, and anyone else who feels broken, lost, or overwhelmed, that you can come back from anything.

You can be at your lowest point and still rebuild. You can feel like you’ve ruined everything and still choose to start again. Hope isn’t pretty or perfect, it’s messy, slow, and terrifying. But it’s worth it.

I’m doing this for BTG Mind Matters because movement saved me. Movement is medicine. And BTG gives that medicine to the people who need it most.

We help people who are struggling with their mental health find strength again, through exercise, community, routine, and someone believing in them when they don’t believe in themselves. I know exactly how that feels. I’ve been that person.

Every metre I swim, every mile I bike, every step I run… it’s for the people who don’t think they can keep going.

It’s for the ones who feel like they’ve lost who they are.

It’s for the version of me who thought she’d never come back.

If my journey gives even one person the courage to try again, then every fear, every early morning, every painful training session will be worth it.