‘Made in Chelsea’ star Joshua Patterson has pounded the streets of Leicester as part of a mammoth charity challenge designed to raise funds for mental health.
The TV personality is embarking on a 76-day journey which will see him become the first person to run a marathon every day in every UK city.
The mission comes as he strives to raise a staggering £1mil to help support The Samaritans charity, to help provide emotional support to anyone in emotional distress or at risk of suicide.
He was in Leicester on April 10, where he completed his 43rd consecutive marathon. The 26-mile run saw him follow the River Soar towpath, and end the challenge at the city’s King Power Stadium. He said in an Instagram post he was feeling the pain and taking longer to recover. However, he was determined to carry on in the hope his challenge would save lives.
“Emotionally I think I’ve maxed out. You absorb so much, and I think it was my body and mind saying reset.
“The body earlier on in R41M was recovering at a rate I couldn’t really explain, now it’s more realistic, things are taking much longer, and hurting progressively more with the lack of recovery.
“If I can improve my sleep I’ll give myself a fighting chance for the remaining marathons, if I don’t then each marathon will become a game of roulette,” he said.
On his Just Giving page, which is currently at £89,269, Mr Patterson explained his reasons for taking on the challenge for mental health.
“As someone who has been affected by mental illness over the years, I empathise immensely with each and every person that has faced such an objection in their life,” he said.
“Luckily, I’ve been blessed that when I hit the lowest points in my life, I have had access to a support network and a therapist to enable me to come through the other side. Sadly, this is not a reality for everyone and for me, that is not ok. It is simply unimaginable to have to face mental health problems alone. My goal is to raise £1,000,000 to help as many people going through these struggles as I possibly can, ensuring they get the support they crucially need from Samaritans.”
“So why 76 marathons in 76 cities?” he continued. “Samaritans have a base in every single city that I will be running through. Mental health can affect ANYONE, anywhere, at any time. This is why it is so important to me to run through all 4 nations. Showcasing everyone coming together, ignoring boundaries. Collectively, we really can achieve anything.
“I am lucky enough to have a platform on social media and feel passionately about using it to help others. Other than being a father to my beautiful daughter, if I have any other purpose on this earth, it is to change the narrative around mental illness and show what is possible when faced with adversity. If I can make a difference, to stop someone losing a loved one, friend, colleague, then I have reached my goal.”
To support the star in his challenge, visit: https://www.justgiving.com/page/joshua-patterson-runfor1million
