Assistant psychologist Ryan Brett will be running 60 miles over the course of November to raise awareness for men’s mental health.
He said: “Why 60? Because 60 men around the world die from suicide every hour.”
Ryan, who said he’s never been particularly sporty, set a challenge to run 3 miles every working day throughout the month without the comfort of his beloved beard.
The money from his fundraiser will be going towards the Movember UK charity, which is raising money to combat health issues which lead to an early death amongst men.
However, to him, Movember is more than raising money for a cause. Having previously struggled with mental health himself, he believes men shouldn’t suffer in silence.
He said: I’m not just doing it to raise money or hit a target. I’m doing it to raise awareness and start the conversation to try and break the taboo that exists around men’s mental health.”
“Even if someone sees my challenge and doesn’t have cash to spare, as long as they think to check with a friend to see how they’re doing, that’s what I’m trying to achieve.”
Psychologist Lindsay George said her recent experience has shown men have become more receptive to talking about their feelings.
She said: “The fact is men do cry and they do feel the same as women. Suicide is the number one killer for men under 40 – and there’s a reason for that.
“Boys are brought up to get on with things – they are told not to cry and this social norm has become behaviourism essentially. I think that it takes a very strong man to stick with this uncomfortable feeling and not run away from it. Every month is about men’s mental health”
Movember is an annual event which raises awareness on three of the leading causes of death in men: suicide, prostate cancer, and testicular cancer.
Ryan is just one of many men in the UK who are taking up a challenge to show their support.
You can read more about Ryan’s fundraiser here.
