ThePowerOfOne

This is my campaign called ThePowerOfOne which is an initiative i've started to help people realise the most impactful way to improve their mental health starts with one person, one difference, one step at a time, and that's themselves!

I have personally had some real battles with mental health in the past, and this year has been especially difficult. After spending 3 months gathering everything I could to support a working visa to stay in New Zealand I crossed every finger and toe I had and fortunately was granted the right to work for 3 years.

Unfortunately the elation was shortlived as 2 weeks after the visa was granted the country was placed into lockdown due to Covid, and the knock on effects led to my redundancy. I have just secured a new position after months of turmoil and strife searching for employment and I now start work on Monday 5th October and I can't wait to get back to it! Now though I realise not only how much I've struggled, with depression and at times, suicidal thoughts, but also the amount of support I've had both from my girlfriend, her family and my friends. Without them I could be in a significantly more difficult situation, or worse, not here at all.

One thing I know is that in 2020 I have not been alone, with millions of people being made redundant, losing loved ones, family and friends, and their mental health has suffered as a result. Realising now how much I've been helped, it's the best time for me to forward on that positive energy and help those who don't have the same support I did, and still do.

One of the biggest factors which helped bring me back from those dark moments was running. That combined with listening to positive people, podcasts and keeping away as best I can from the doom and gloom side of social media has kept me in positive mindset and I'm sure this was a huge contributing factor in helping me gain employment again. It's more than that though. To make a big change you don't have to make big targets. Just one. One small thing you do every day. Scared of running huge distances? Don't try 10km just try One km. Do it once a day. 10 minutes once a day and you can start building. Those 10 minutes make a huge difference to your mental wellbeing!

For this reason I have decided to help people the best way I know how, and do what has helped me the most. Running. I'll be going full Forrest Gump until the end of 2020, with my target to have ran 1000(!)Km by New Years Eve, December 31st, less than 100 days from today. To achieve this I'll have to run 11Km EVERY day to achieve my target. One Man, One Thousand kilometres, Less than One hundred days. In keeping with the "Ones" I've set my total charity amount target of $10,000.00, or one hundred people donating $100 between now and the end of the year. If you can donate $10 (or 5 pounds sterling) for every 100km I run that would be amazing! Any donations you can afford though will make the difference and I appreciate this massively!

For Better Mental Health / Te pae tawhiti o te Hinengaro

Leading social change by inspiring positive action

Changing Minds is a national not-for-profit organisation operated entirely by those with personal experience of recovery from mental health and/or addiction issues, we work in the broad area of wellbeing services, advocacy, human rights, and health policy.