The longest continuous footpath in the world, the Appalachian Trail stretches along the East Coast of the United States, from Georgia to Maine, through some of the most arresting and celebrated landscapes in the World.
In March of 2010 I aim to undertake the monumental challenge of challenge of hiking the “granddaddy of long hikes” in a single continuous journey. It takes over 5 million footsteps to cover the distance of 2,178 miles. There are more than 350 peaks over 5,000 feet along the AT. In a week alone you can cross over fifty Snowdons.
I have been awarded a travelling fellowship from the Winston Churchill Memorial Trust. I will use this award to continue my efforts to raise awareness of mental health issues, to challenge stigma and change attitudes. See the Appalachian Trail page for more information!
Up next... Tintin and the Appalachian Trail
‘As my sufferings mounted I soon realised that there were two ways that I could respond to my situation: either to react with bitterness or seek to transform the suffering into a creative force. I decided to follow the latter course. Recognising the necessity for suffering I have tried to make of it virtue. If only to save myself from bitterness, I have attempted to see my personal ordeals as an opportunity to transform myself and heal the people involved in the tragic situation, which now obtains’.
- Martin Luther King, Jr.
I’ve now finished the Mental Health First Aid instructor course and have become a national trainer in doing so. It will add a practical dimension to the mental health work I do. It’s a new and exciting initiative that should be of massive public benefit. Click here to find out more. I’m thoroughly enjoying it so far and am looking forward to providing training in the Dorset area.
Latest interview: ‘In praise of the seriously ill’
Welcome to my site
Living with a mental illness has been nothing short of an adventurous journey. For some, life may be like a roller coaster or a box of chocolates; I found that cycling, in many ways, resembled my life – there were days when the roads were so rocky it took all my focus just to hold on and then there were days when the roads were so smooth I could easily absorb my surroundings. There were days when I’d wake up and look at my bike with disdain, and there were days when I’d wake up brimming with excitement.
There were days when there was no traffic and I was at peace, then there were days when traffic zoomed past at such a frenetic pace that it distressed me. There were days where every pedal stroke felt laborious and then there were days when everything was effortless and I’d seem to fly. It takes patience, perseverance and sheer grit to get to the top of a steep hill. But then the journey wouldn’t be such an adventure, nor would it be very fulfilling if it were without challenge. I soon realised that It’s important to sit back, relax and enjoy the ride once and a while too
As I have started my recovery; my life has become an intensely rewarding journey and I wish to share it with people in hope to help create a society where people with mental illness enjoy the same rights and opportunities as other people.
Explore the site to: share my latest adventure; see what I’m doing to shift the stigma associated with mental illness; arrange an interview or have me speak at an event; watch a video; learn more about mental illness or follow me on my latest adventure!
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