Queen of the Hills: Amanda's Charity Triumph
On 26th June I took on and completed on the North Downs Run! A 30km trail route taking in the many sights (and hills!) of Kent. For those that know me, the furthest I normally run is around 10km so this was a big challenge! However, after 7 weeks of training, the 4 hours of pain was so worthwhile as I raised a total of £350 for the Samaritans. Thank you so much to my lovely friends and family who made donations, I can’t thank you enough for your support!
So why the Samaritans?
Mental illness has been part of my life since I can remember affecting both those close to me and myself personally. Despite increasing awareness there is still a stigma and silence around mental health. Personally I usually choose not to speak about the challenges it has presented but on this occasion I felt strongly I should speak out. The past few months have been some of the toughest I've experienced. One particularly difficult evening I left the house, severely struggling with the dark thoughts in my head. After walking for a while I saw a bench and sat down. I knew if I didn't move from here I would be safe. I remembered I'd been given the number for the Samaritans and because all the usual tricks hadn't worked, decided to give them a call. The volunteer who answered was incredible. He listened patiently and with understanding as I sent a confused mess of words his way. Over an hour later he’d calmed me down enough to be able to go back home. At no point did he judge me or tell me what to do but just through listening and being a voice of reason he allowed me to recognise for myself all the positives in my life.
I hope that in sharing this experience it will encourage others to contact the Samaritans if they are struggling. I know I personally owe the person who answered an awful lot for his kindness that evening. It’s easy to forget that these wonderful people are volunteers, giving up their own time to help others. I’m so grateful to everyone who has shown their support and enabled me to give something back.
Amanda
For more information on the work that Samaritans do, head to www.samaritans.org to find out more.
