Olivia takes on Robin Hood Half Marathon for SANE
Our star fundraiser, Olivia, ran the Robin Hood half marathon in September last year and finished the race with a big smile on her face and a great sense of accomplishment.
Thanks to her outstanding fundraising, SANE was able to fully train a volunteer who is now able to answer SANEline calls and support those in crisis.
In Olivia’s own words: “Mental health is something very close to my heart, having been in treatment for a year, having depression and suicide amongst my family and friends, and being halfway through studying medicine, it’s clear we need a charity like SANE to change mental health for good.”
Why Olivia chose to support SANE
Olivia endured the wet weather at the start of the event, but as luck would have it, she was standing next to another SANE fundraiser who was also wearing his SANE top and they started a conversation.
“We chose SANE for very similar reasons, and he told how he was running for his neighbour who took his own life as well as for his own battles with depression”.
Oliva mentioned that as both of them wore their SANE tops it felt easier to share their mental health struggles. She continues: “I want people to remember it’s OK to talk about their mental health, good or bad, and it’s OK not to be OK.”
Olivia recalls her experience during the race: “I ran all the 13 miles with (mostly) a smile on my face, proud of myself and proud of everyone else who took part and even the kind volunteers handing us water, sweets and cheering us on. It gave me a sense of community, love and hope and reminded me; we are never alone.”
SANE has been very fortunate to have the support of fundraisers like Olivia, who are passionate about spreading awareness of mental health and are aware of the services offered by SANE.
She says: “I want to raise awareness of how research, support and treatment can change the lives of people living with a mental illness as well as their families, and support a smaller charity that you know are going to make a direct difference to people’s lives, like SANE.”
Olivia is very grateful to her sponsors. She mentioned: “I was lucky enough to be able to spread the word of my fundraising across my friends and family who were so generous in their donation.”
We would like to say a huge thanks to Olivia for her great support and commitment to SANE’s work.
Have you thought of challenging yourself on one of our events and helping people who struggle with their mental health? Here’s your chance, take a look at some of our Challenge Events now!
