“It was like there was an extra personal trainer in my ear motivating me when I downloaded the Couch to 5k app. That’s how I got back into jogging.
“After that I thought the natural step was to run a 10k, so I searched around for runs in this area and found the Great Grimsby 10k. I realised I could run for NAViGO and The Gardiner Hill Foundation too, which is cool because I like NAViGO.
“Running is very healthy. It’s better than being stuck inside and it helps my mental health – you feel like you’ve achieved something. It’s not easy, but I’d recommend it to anyone.
“It helps you socialise too. You have to get out of your little bubble and speak to other people.
“It hasn’t been easy this year and that’s affected everyone. Covid has been around a while and my motivation was pretty low. But it’s important to think about our mental health and our health in general. Do anything that’s positive. Keep your chin up.
“Physical health has a real effect on your mental health, as does your diet and going to bed at a decent time. You know these things are good for you, so you do them and you feel better, so you’re more motivated to do other things. The more you do, the better you feel.
“NAViGO is a really amazing place. It helped me out a lot when I needed mental health support, so without their help I wouldn’t be as happy as I am. I owe a lot to NAViGO so it’s an honour to run the Great Grimsby 10k for them.”
Stuart is running the Great Grimsby 10k to raise money for our official charity The Gardiner Hill Foundation.