If you were challenged to run a distance which was further than a marathon every day for a whole year, do you think you’d be up for it? You’d probably think that it would be a bit impossible, right? But our inspirational man of the moment Jamie Ramsay, laughed in the face of this challenge and has just completed a 18,000km distance from Vancouver in Canada to Buenos Aires in Argentina in support of Mental Health Charity CALM (Campaign Against Living Miserably).
Raising Awareness for CALM
Before we get in to the nitty gritty of Jamie’s amazing awareness raising adventure, let’s talk about what CALM do. With suicide being the single biggest killer of men under 45 in the UK, the charity was set up to provide a support network to give men everywhere help when they need it the most. Believing that communication, support and the opportunity to ask for help is the key to preventing hundreds of suicides, CALM is a charity developed by men for men. In 2014 there were 6,109 suicides in the UK, of which 76% were male. CALM believe that the cultural and social barriers of speaking openly about mental health concerns may be a contributing factor to this number, so by raising awareness of the help the charity can provide, this gives males everywhere the opportunity to talk, to ask questions and most importantly - show that there is no shame in talking about your mental health concerns.
Jamie Ramsay: The British Forrest Gump!
Unless you've already been following CALM on social media, you probably haven't heard of the name Jamie Ramsay before, but this British Adventure Runner is a guy we at Mankind HQ definitely have aspirations to be more like! It all started when one of Jamie's friends wrote an article for CALM about an extraordinary idea to run from Vancouver in Canada to Buenos Aires in Argentina - all in support of CALM (Campaign Against Living Miserably). By the time the article was published Jamie had left the UK behind and was beginning his epic journey along the west coast of Canada! Talk about seizing the day!
For those who are not quite sure what distance 18,000km is, we're talking a whopping 26 miles every. single. day. A distance we struggle to complete in a week at the moment, never mind on a daily basis. Not only is the distance itself a difficult task to comprehend, but there are also many more questions to be raised when it comes to completing such an epic feat. One of which being 'where on earth will you sleep Jamie?!' (The answer being; in a tent!) Can you imagine the epic amounts of joy this guy must have felt when he finally got to sleep in his own bed again? The entire route ended up taking over 367 days to complete and 17 pair of running shoes... Wow. Just wow.
Back on home soil (and back to his own bed!)
Jamie returned home from his 'adventure' on the 10th January 2016, but the running bug wasn't left on the plane. Jamie laced up his running shoes for a final time and completed his awareness raising antics in a 'victory lap' 15 miles back to a reception of friends, family and CALM supporters cheering him through the final stage in true 'Forrest Gump' style!
Leaving a lasting impression on each and every person he's met on his journey, Jamie has inspired people the world over with his incredible strength and resilience. Donations to Jamie’s 3 charities – CALM (Campaign Against Living Miserably), WaterAid and MacMillan Cancer Care - are still coming in, and Jamie is hoping to exceed his target of £20,000
Are you inspired to take on a challenge like this to raise awareness like Jamie? We’re sure this won’t be the final challenge Jamie takes part in, so follow his journeys on Twitter @jamieisrunning
CALM’s free, confidential accredited helpline and webchat service are available every day of the week from 5pm to midnight, staffed by professionals, on 0800 585858 (national) 0808 802 5858 (London) and www.thecalmzone.net. CALM is reg. charity no. 1110621.
