“I like to wear my Mind badge. It’s a great way of starting a conversation.”

When I limped across the finish line of my first marathon, everything hurt. It wasn’t a complete surprise because my training had been non-existent for the previous two weeks as I had been struggling with my mental health. I’d found out that we had to leave our rented flat and I had the stress of finding somewhere new to live. As a result my trainers lay untouched in the hallway until I laced them up on race day.

But as I crossed the finish line, I still managed a smile as not only had I raised nearly £2,300 for Mind, but I’d also raised awareness for mental health and the importance of talking to someone who understands.

“When I sent round the link to my fundraising page, rowers of all ages came up to talk to me about mental health.”

Alongside my job as operations analyst for a financial company, I also coach rowing on the weekends. When I sent round the link to my fundraising page, rowers of all ages came up to talk to me about mental health. Some thanked me for speaking out about my story and others came to talk to me about their own struggles.

For me it’s so important to know that the person you’re talking to really understands what you’re going through; I’ve pictured my own death enough times to empathise with someone who is struggling with mental health.

I know how it feels to open up to someone who doesn’t know what to say. When I was 16, I confided in a friend that life didn’t seem worth living. They didn’t know what to say to me so it was brushed under the carpet, and I didn’t speak to anyone about it again until four years later.

It was only when I was at university that I spoke to a mental health professional. I had been struggling to keep up with my studies and I had to explain why. I got some basic counselling, and I took a gap year, during which I also spoke to an NHS therapist.

I wasn’t self-harming or having suicidal ideation, but I was struggling on a day-to-day basis. Sometimes I would wake up and sit on my bed and just cry. My GP prescribed me anti-depressants, but I’d grown up in a family that looked down on modern medication; they believed that thinking positively and pulling yourself out of it was the best thing to do.

I looked on the Mind website to find out about medication, but I didn’t take anything until I was 26 and doing professional exams. The pressure was on, and my anxiety was through the roof. My GP suggested I try medication, so this time I did.

The difference it made was amazing. Even the smallest dose improved my anxiety. Finally, I could walk down the street and not jump at every loud car noise. The improvement in my quality of life was indescribable, and my only regret was I didn’t do it sooner.

I’m hoping to do another fundraising event for Mind because it’s so important to keep the conversations going. Mental health issues are real 365 days a year – it’s not just something to be talked about on an awareness day and it goes away. As part of my fundraising pack Mind sent me a badge which I like to wear. Most people don’t notice it, but for those that do it’s a great way of starting a conversation.

I’m very open about my mental health journey, and I like that my fundraising events let people know they can talk to me whenever they need to. It doesn’t take long for someone to make the wrong decision, so I want to be there as someone who really understands how they’re feeling.