A Bournemouth local is taking on an extraordinary endurance challenge this month to raise awareness for men’s mental health.
Totalling 250km, Oscar Atkins, 26, will run the last 100km of his challenge starting and finishing at AFC Bournemouth’s Vitality stadium.
He began his 5km a day challenge last year for Movember, an annual global movement to raise awareness and funds for men’s health issues, after reaching a low point in his life.
Atkins said: “I felt lost, running 5km every day gave me a reason to get up and push myself. It helped me match my actions to my words.”
After completing the challenge last year, Oscar decided to ‘level up’ this year by adding a weighted vest, admitting he wants it to represent the extra pressure men face daily.
“Men often suffer in silence, and I want to show it’s ok to open up and prove that no matter how tough life gets, there’s always light at the end of the tunnel,” Atkins added.
Throughout November, he’s been encouraging others to join him on his runs each day, asking them one simple but powerful question, “what makes you happy?”
The 100km route will pass a total of 6 non-league football clubs, including Poole Town, Wimborne and Brockenhurst Football Clubs, to celebrate the role local football plays in supporting community wellbeing.
“All eyes are on the top clubs, but local football matters too. I have played, coached and watched games at many of these grounds that I will run past, so it feels right to include them.”
Atkins said that he also inspiration from the Japanese concept of misogi, a ritual challenge designed to push someone far beyond their comfort zone.
Speaking on incorporating misogi into Movember, Atkins said: “Last year I ran 55km from Southampton’s St Marys to Bournemouth’s Vitality Stadium, this year I’m doubling it. Misogi teaches that if you do one incredibly hard thing each year, everything else feels easier.”
Donations can be made via Oscar’s Movember fundraising page: https://movember.com/m/14492623?mc=1
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