Ten Ironmans in 10 days to show 'power of purpose'
Fergus CrawleyA mental health campaigner is hoping to complete 10 Ironman distances in 10 days to mark a decade since a mental health illness led him to attempt to take his own life.
Fergus Crawley, a Durham University student at the time, is raising money for the charity Calm (Campaign Against Living Miserably).
From 30 April to 9 March, he will swim 2.4 miles (3.8kms), cycle 112 miles (180kms) and run 26.2 miles (42kms) in 10 different UK cities.
The 30-year-old said: "The challenge will push me to my limits but it's about demonstrating the power of purpose of mental wellbeing and inspiring others to get started."
In 2016, despite having a "loving family, loyal friends and a life worth living" he was struggling with mental health issues and feeling isolated and lonely.
"My perception of masculinity was not to show emotion or weakness, and I just felt so desperate," he said.
"Afterwards, my initial feeling was of anger that the one decisive action I'd taken to end my pain hadn't worked."
However, he said after acquiring a French bulldog called Odie, the routine, companionship and responsibility of owning a dog helped him recover mentally and he was able to move back to Durham and complete his degree.
Fergus CrawleyThree in four of people who die by suicide are men and it is the leading cause of deaths of men under 50 in the UK.
Each potentially lifesaving call Calm takes costs it £12.20 and Crawley wants to raise £122,000 - enough to pay for 10,000 calls.
Most of the swims will take place in a pool, with bike rides on racing circuits and marathons on athletics tracks and he said it would "mean the world to me" if people joined him for a single lap, several laps or a full discipline.
"The main thing is that we get together and raise funds for a brilliant charity focused on preventing suicide and supporting those in crisis," he added.
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