A GROUP of runners have raised around £13,000 for two local charities by completing a gruelling physical and mental challenge which saw them run the equivalent of almost two marathons over a 24-hour period.

Organised by Amy Cadden from Donagh and Stephen Carters from Lisnaskea, the pair wanted to raise awareness around mental health whilst fundraising for local charities, the Oak Healthy Living Centre, Lisnaskea, and the Aisling Centre, Enniskillen, that benefited them during their own personal journeys.

Opening up about her own mental health journey, Amy told The Impartial Reporter about her experiences.

“I myself suffered with anxiety and depression – it hit me quite hard last January, where I was forced to take a couple of weeks off work, which would not be like me at all.

“I was seen by the counsellors in the Aisling Centre. It was a free service and I feel like it finally let me see past what I was feeling, and it really helped me.”

Along with support from the Aisling Centre, Amy found that exercise really helped her.

“By doing exercise and encouraging people to come out and do a couple of miles with us, and getting the money raised for those [charities], it just seemed like the most perfect thing to do at that time,” she said of the running challenge.

Stephen has also experienced issues with his own mental health. Speaking out, he said: “I suppose it would always be a work in progress [to try to maintain good mental health]. I think the whole thing came to a head nearly two years ago.

“It was just the overwhelming thoughts of ending things,” he shared, adding: “It was a case that my father had to come from Ireland over to England where I was living at the time to take me home.

“That was my reasoning for [doing the fundraiser], to try and help other people who had been going through [a similar experience], because of my own experiences.

“The thoughts that you were having about yourself, you wouldn’t wish them on your own enemy.”

Explaining why he decided to take on the fundraising challenge, he said: “I wanted to do what I could to make sure that if anyone was out there feeling like that, that there would be money provided for the likes of the Oak Healthy Living Centre which helped me, to be able to help them.”

For the challenge, which consisted of 12 four-mile runs over a 24-hour period, some 48 miles in total, and that took place at the end of March, Amy and Stephen were joined by Jade McMahon, Frances McElroy, Helen Davis, Jarlath Jackman and Eddie Sherry.

“Jarly and Eddie completed their run in Newtownbutler. They had a route mapped out, so there were 12 runs in total and they did 11 of them in Newtown, and the rest of us did six runs out at Donagh, around the football field, then we did five runs in Lisnaskea, around the town, and we all completed the final run back in Donagh, so we all finished together,” explained Stephen.

“When it came to the last four miles, it was so hard! Every part of your body, it wasn’t even just about the physical side, [but] the mental side.

“Every part of your body was screaming, ‘What are you doing?’ but I just kept saying to myself, ‘There’s people who suffer fighting with their mind every single day – you can do this for 24 hours to raise these funds, you’re going to shine so much light on those mental health charities, so just keep going’. One foot in front of the other’,” said Amy, who doesn’t consider herself athletic “at all” and only trained for six weeks before taking on the run.

“It was a massive challenge for me, but it was amazing,” she added.

The team has been overwhelmed by the support that they have received, and the £12,924 raised will be split between the Oak Healthy Living Centre and the Aisling Centre.