“I was always active and outdoorsy as a child, part of the school orienteering team, competing to a regional level with the athletics team in high jump and enjoying horse riding whenever I could fit it in. I then went to University and events here led to me being diagnosed with PTSD and I suffered with depression and anxiety.
The outdoors and being active has really helped me to recover from this and get back onto my feet again. I used hill walking in the Lake District to find some head space away from the day to day craziness. I went from couch potato to walking everyday, not always summiting mountains but making sure to make time for a short walk everyday.
As I recovered and began a new job in Suffolk I rediscovered my love of riding my bike. I have recently bought a hybrid bike allowing me to enjoy road biking as well as venturing off onto the local bridleway and byway network to give me a change of scene. As my fitness levels have increased I noticed a real difference in my mental well being, I am much happier and feel more awake and productive each day.”
