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CHARITY LEGEND , SPEEDOMICK SHARES HIS MENTAL HEALTH STRUGGLE AS HE COMPLETES HIS 2,000 MILE ‘ GIVING BACK TOUR ’
Britain ’ s most celebrated charity fundraiser , SpeedoMick , is back on the road again on his 2,000 mile ‘ Giving Back Tour ’. Through the SpeedoMick Foundation , Mick is setting out to raise money for local charities who focus on relieving poverty , helping those with mental health issues and providing support and education for young people with disadvantaged backgrounds .
Ahead of World Homeless Day and World Mental Health Day , Mick has opened up about his own battles with mental health issues , addiction and homelessness . Through his experiences , he hopes to help others .
" I was in a horrible place for so many years , and it was the decisions I made that took me there .
" My lowest points were the times I tried to take my own life . Being an alcoholic or a drug addict is a lingering , painful death . You lose all your friends and family because you are too painful to be around . I don ’ t know how I got so lost .
" I wanted to stop drinking for years , but I didn ’ t have the answers . I never blamed the drink , because deep down , I knew the problem was me - but I would sooner run away from all my problems before I pointed the finger at myself ."
The SpeedoMick Foundation seeks to help people talk in confidence about their doubts and fears . Through compassion and understanding , the charity sets out to make a positive impact on young people , families , individuals and communities .
" Looking back , the first signs of my struggles began when I was very young . I ’ d had a difficult childhood and it continued into adulthood . I went to London and ended up sleeping in hostels or on the streets . This is why raising money for mental health issues , poverty and young people is so close to my heart ."
In his trusty speedos , Mick is currently halfway through his ‘ Giving Back Tour ’; a six-month trek around the UK and Ireland , raising funds for his Foundation and finding charities to donate up to £ 250,000 to along the way , so that he can ‘ give back ’ to the people and the communities who have supported him in the past .
Having commenced in Stornoway in the Western Isles in May , SpeedoMick has already travelled through Edinburgh and Glasgow , before heading to Belfast and Dublin , where he crossed back over to North Wales ahead of journeying to Cardiff and then Cornwall .
The last leg of the tour is set to continue through all of England ’ s major cities , before making its way to Manchester and finally finishing in Liverpool this December .
“ The Covid-19 pandemic has placed a huge strain on the finances of so many charities . It has also shone a light on how difficult life can be for a lot of young people in the country - whether it be depression , suicide , addiction , poverty or a general lack of opportunity . I ’ ll do anything I can to help .”
Lockdown was a particular struggle for Mick . Following the success of his first 1,000 mile walk - which ended in February 2020 , spanned across 30 towns and raised over £ 500,000 in funds - he found restrictions nearly impossible to handle .
“ Even after 19 years of recovery , I ’ d never experienced being so low . It got so bad that I didn ’ t even want to be here any more . You want to be free from what you ’ re going through , because it ’ s that bad . It ’ s that dark , you start believing that you ’ re better off not being here .”
Mick hopes that sharing his story will motivate others to seek the help they need . He also wants to encourage people to ask what they can do to help someone who might be struggling .
“ I thought that I was going to figure it out myself . And this is the problem , because you can ’ t think your way out of mental health . You ’ ve got to ask for help . Eventually , I spoke to my brother and I would say he saved my life .”
You ’ ll hear family members and friends turn round and go , ‘ I ’ d only seen him on Tuesday , and he was fine .’ He was laughing and smiling , he was joking , but he wasn ’ t ‘ fine ’. You ’ ve got to ask , is there anything I can do ? Don ’ t let it go .” Mick ’ s message to anyone who is suffering is to talk , reach out , ask for help . Don ’ t suffer alone .
For more information , or to follow the ‘ Giving Back Tour ’, please visit : https :// www . thespeedomickfoundation . org /
You can also donate here : https :// www . gofundme . com / f / speedomick
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