From the 1st December I am going to be taking on a running calendar challenge, where I am going to be running 1km on 1st, 2km on 2nd and so on… until 24th December where I will finish the challenge with 24km.

Let’s beat the stigma behind men not talking up.

When I was younger, I lost my dad, Chris, to suicide. It’s something that changed my life forever. For a long time, I didn’t know how to process it, and like many men, I kept most of my feelings to myself. I thought staying silent was the strongest thing I could do — but it only made the weight heavier.

The most important tool that ever helped me begin to heal was speaking up. Talking about what happened, how I felt, and what I carried inside didn’t make me weaker — it made me human. It made me connected. And it reminded me that silence can be dangerous, but honesty can save lives.

That’s why I’m raising money for MANUP?, a charity dedicated to changing the way men talk about mental health. They help men open up, get support, and realise that vulnerability is strength — not failure.

If my dad had felt able to talk… if he’d had a place like this to turn to… maybe things could have been different. I can’t change the past, but I can try to help change someone else’s future.

Every donation — big or small — helps a man feel heard, supported, and less alone.

Thank you for supporting this cause and helping honour my dad’s memory. It truly means more than you know.