William Brooks' running for Mental Health Foundation

For William, mental health and running has become very interconnected.

“Running is something I have worked at methodically over the last few years, building on it block-by-block,” he says. “I have run a few half marathons previously, including the Auckland half, but nothing near the scale of the marathon!”

The Auckland Marathon has always been a long-term goal of Williams but due to his struggles with mental health in the past, it’s been a barrier preventing him from doing so.

William’s found the perseverance with running has helped him to build a greater resilience to other challenges he’s experienced; especially those around anxiety and depression.

“Running has become a really amazing tool for balancing my mental wellbeing.”

William has chosen to run for the Mental Health Foundation (MHF) to raise awareness for the work they do and shed light on the importance of having open conversations that can break down stigmas around mental health.

“I think that when it comes to supporting mental health, the best thing you can start with, is talking about it and sharing why you care about these issues. You’ll be amazed at how many people will relate to what you are saying and who comes out of the woodwork to support the cause.”