Mental
health seems to be a topic of lesser concern throughout the world, but the
reality of it is that people are dealing with internal thoughts and emotions
which are difficult to handle alone. You truly never know what somebody is
going through and too much of this built-up negativity in the mind can lead to
fatal actions. Personally, this led to my father, Noland, struggling and taking
his own life about 13 years ago, as well as one of my best friends’ father,
Scott Mayo, in March 2019.
To
keep their spirits alive and honor the ones we’ve lost, as well as raise
awareness for mental health recognition, I will run in the 100 mile (166 km) Pong
Yaeng Trail (PYT) race in the Pong Yaeng sub-district, Chiang Mai, Thailand on
November 6 2020. The trail will run through local villages, vast
rice fields, and up and over mountainous terrain, with a total elevation gain
of 24,000 feet (7,400 m). The race has set a cut-off time for 48 hours, but my
goal is to finish in 30 hours.
In
addition, I would like to raise money for Samaritans, a Boston based organization
that works to prevent suicide and support those who have lost someone to suicide.
Samaritans,
is dedicated to “educating the public on preventative and protective measures,
provide support to those in despair or crisis, and offer comfort and resources
to individuals and families experiencing the complex grief that follows a loss
to suicide.” All of the donations will go towards suicide prevention efforts
and the friends and families who lost someone they will never be able to see
again.
I
believe that if you never overcome obstacles or difficulties in your life, you
will not know how your mind can adapt to get through them. I purposely want to
exercise my body’s ability to manage intense situations so the stresses of
regular life will lessen. Along with talking with someone, this has been a way
for me to lessen the impact of my negative thoughts and emotions and cope with
the constant changes that life brings. My participation in the PYT is for
everyone who can be comforted by knowing they’ the people who are afraid to
speak out and talk to someone, and a thank you to those who recognize mental
health as an important issue and are there for those who need it. If even one
person is helped through this, it could be a catalyst for exponential change
throughout the lives of people close to you.