This Movember, our founder Scott Britton joined our friend and charity adventure athlete, Fergus Crawly, on his extraordinary challenge to shine a light on men's mental health.
Fergus' Project Vertical, saw him attempting to climb Ben Nevis 32 times over 11 days.
Monotony. Dread. Loneliness. Pain. Darkness. Doubt. Fear. Fight. Shame.
This is everything that this project represents, and sadly, what thousands of men suffer from in silence every single day. But this doesn’t have to be the case.
After a promising start leading up to the challenge, the weather turned and Storm Aiden brought 100mph winds and -16° at the top for Fergus' first few days. Soul-sapping and gruelling, the team had to delay start times, change plans and introduce additional measures.
But storms pass. This project is about exactly this, dealing with the highs, the lows, the storms, the darkness, all to represent how it feels for us all to face our own uphill battle.
Scott joined Fergus and his team on day 3 of the challenge when they had already achieved a number of ascents.
Sleep-deprived, aching and morale low, the weather improved but trudging through16 inches of snow meant an ascent twice as long as previous days.
However, the summit proved to be worth the fight with whiteouts creating an otherworldly scene and breathtaking views.
The adaptations, sheer will, and openness of this challenge highlights so well the struggles of mental health. This Herculean challenge isn’t to show off how tough the lads are, but to open up about vulnerabilities, internal thoughts, self reflection and how to take charge of your mind!
- Scott
Hats off to Fergus and his team for yet another inspiring challenge to raise funds and awareness for men's mental health.
Donate to the challenge here
Here at Move Forward Gym, we believe in physical and mental strength. As part of our Move Forward Program we offer free classes to anyone struggling with mental health.
Find out more by contacting us.