Never one to shy away from a challenge, Peter Thompson has truly tested
himself, both physically and mentally, for mental health awarenessMental health matters to me
because... I know, and have worked
with, many people who have serious
mental health issues. Some have tried
to take their own lives, and others
battle through with determination and
courage that I admire greatly. I have
seen people at their lowest, I have seen
the stigma they face, and the lack of
support when they need it most.
In recent years, I have tried to be
better educated about my own mental
health, and to make a difference
by raising funds and awareness
through my Marathons for the Mind
challenges.
When I need support I... talk to
the people I know will understand.
I’m naturally quite a private and
independent person – both of which
often make that difficult to do.
Luckily, the people I care about most
understand me, and together we
always get there.
When I need some self-care, I...^
turn to exercise and the great outdoors.
In the past, I have been guilty of letting
exercise take over my life negatively, but
it is my escape, my mindfulness, and
my way to switch off when things get
too much. I now realise that running
is about so much more than just time,
and am a great believer that it can work
wonders for our mental health.The books I turn to time and
again are... not actually books! I’ll
be honest and say I’m not the best
reader; I take in a lot of my material
online and from magazines. My mum
reads enough for both of us though,
and in writing this I’ve made a pact
that the next book I read won’t be a
sporting autobiography, or a travel
guide for my next adventure.People I find inspiring online are...
I’ve been lucky enough to meet some
incredibly inspiring people through mychallenges, and none more so than
Jake Tyler from the BBC show Mind
Over Marathon. Jake is so incredibly
open about his mental health, in a
way that is so natural and refreshing.
He’s also very funny, and someone I
look up to, who inspires me to have
those conversations when I want to
hide away. We should all be a little
more like Jake.Three things I would say to
someone experiencing mental
ill-health are... people care about
you, your problems do matter, and
as hard as it is, try to let someone in.
You are not burdening them, you are
giving them the opportunity to show
how much they care. An opportunity
that is an honour, and that they will
be grateful for.The moment I felt most proud
of myself was... when I recently
undertook two running challenges- running 44 marathons in 44 days,
and running the route of the 2018
Tour de France – raising more than
£42,000 for mental health charities.
It’s not completing the challenges that
I’m most proud of, but more the fact
that I started. I have often been guilty
of not taking risks and obsessing over
the ‘what if ’. The challenges show
what can happen when you take that
leap of faith and, despite my knees
potentially disagreeing, I wouldn’t
change them for the world.
nMENTAL HEALTHn
Matters
For more from Peter, visit
marathonsforthemind.com and follow
him on Twitter @marathonsftmind