Connor takes on running challenge for mental health charity

A young man from Denton is taking on a gruelling running challenge to fundraise for a charity close to his heart.

Connor Martin will be taking on will be clocking up 100km throughout March to raise money and awareness for The Anthony Seddon Fund.

It’s an important challenge for Connor, who says he wants to make sure people know there is help out there, after hitting what he described as “rock bottom” just four years ago.

“In 2017 I hit rock bottom. I didn’t know where to turn or how to get my head above water. I was under 9 stone, I had yellow teeth, work stress and constant anxiety.

“My relationship was coming to an end, I had debts mounting up and I was going into a dark place.

“I got a phone call off my dad saying that he’d noticed I’d changed and that my mum had cried about the person I’d become. That was the moment I thought I needed to turn my life around and become the Connor everyone once knew.

“I had to pick myself up, dust myself off and go again. Without those people I wouldn’t be where I am today.”

To undertake such a challenge, Connor has received plenty of backing from local businesses. Universal Granite, Liverpool Apartments, Powerbowlz Manchester have all come onboard to help power him during his run.

Connor says that he wants to encourage people to talk about how they are doing, saying its been a big help to him.
“It’s perfectly ok to admit you’re not ok and that’s what I’m promoting with my challenge. With lockdown, a lot of people are suffering on their own.

“People bottle it up but I want to get the message out there.

“I’m supporting the Anthony Seddon Fund as I’m from Denton and they’re based in Tameside and they’re brilliant. The more exposure they get the better.”

It’s set to be a challenge for Connor, who says he’s never undertaken a challenge of this magnitude before. He said: “I’m not the fastest or the fittest so it’s going to be a big challenge for me. I’ve never ran more than 5 miles in my life so we’ll see how it goes.

“It doesn’t matter how I do it it’s getting it done and for the right reasons. It’ll take me to some dark places but I can show people I can do it, I want to make others think they can as well.

“Since I put my post up online I’v been inundated with messages sayings it's inspiring. All I did was put my thoughts down on paper and told my story and it’s touched a lot of people.”

He’s being supported by his local MP Andrew Gwynne, who threw his full weight behind Connor’s challenge. He said: “It’s remarkable for this young man to put himself through such physical activity for such a good cause.

“We all know that mental ill health is a contributing factor in a lot of men becoming seriously unwell or worse, taking their own life.

We’ve got to start being serious. Start to talk about it and support people who are suffering for whatever reasons.

“It’s ok not to be ok. That’s the message Connor is sending out there. It should be no different to physical ill health.

“I wish him all the best - the guy is a legend.”

Connor will be running throughout the month of March, with the final run being on Sunday 28 March. He’s not yet named a venue but is hoping it’ll be a big, socially distanced celebration.

He’s hoping to raise £2,000 for the charity and you can donate online at www.Justgiving.com/fundraising/con-martin. 

Images by Nigel Wood

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