Imagine beginning your university life in the middle of a global pandemic. Just when you are starting to make friends and adjust to a new way of life (and are juggling lecture times with deciding what fancy dress outfit to wear next Tuesday), everyone goes into lockdown. Like so many young people across the UK, Ollie Stevens was one of them to become isolated. Now at 24 years old and working at a bank in London, he might just be one of the most positive people of his generation, but that’s not the full story.

We speak via Zoom and Ollie has ducked into an office meeting room – he’s near the Gherkin in Aldgate, London and I’m looking out on to a grassy meadow of cows. Despite our different surroundings, we are united in our conversation – our love of running and our passion for CPSL Mind. “It’s a bit surreal to be talking to you to be honest, says Ollie, “I’m just doing what most people do, just trying to raise some money for charity. Talking to you now is certainly giving me the motivation and helping me to keep pushing the fundraising as much as possible.”

Despite the growing awareness of mental health, Ollie believes that mental health isn’t spoken about enough. “I think it’s especially true amongst young men and for those beginning their professional careers, he says. “Personally, I have struggled to open up and it’s hindered my relationships with friends and family. Being honest and open is something that I’ve tried to promote and push forward.

“When I was at university, I struggled with my mental health and for a long time didn’t speak to anyone about it. I went through university for two years in the covid bubble, so it was a hard situation. I had one meeting to get help but running has transformed my mental health.”

Ollie, who is originally from Ramsay in Cambridgeshire, wished to support CPSL Mind – a charity that is close to his heart and his roots. Ollie still plays cricket for Ramsay most weekends and his family live in the area. “The importance of CPSL Mind is unmatched, says Ollie, “In small villages and towns, everyone knows everything about everyone, but when it comes to someone’s mental health, I think people don’t know the full story. That’s why it’s so important that small communities can access the support and services they need. I hope that my fundraising will encourage people to reach out to the services that CPSL Mind offers. I also hope that my fundraising challenge will incentivise people to be honest with their friends and family about how they are feeling.”

The power of running

Everyone runs for different reasons. Some have a ‘need for speed’ and sprint hard for short bursts, some people prefer gently jogging over undulating landscapes in the wild, and for others it’s about running with people at their local park. So, what is it about running that encourages Ollie to keep fastening his laces? “Whenever I’ve got anything going on in my life that’s a bit stressful, the best thing I ever do is to go for a run. The thought of going for a run is always ‘no’ but after I’ve done it, I realise what’s important in my life. I also realise that the majority of things that I’m stressing about are not important or significant at all. I’m very grateful for my family and friends and whenever I go running, it brings me back down to earth. It’s free therapy. All you need is a pair of trainers and it’s amazing”.

A series of challenges

Ollie is certainly modest – he has taken on the challenge to run 100km a month, for a year. He started the challenge in January 2024. His numbers of km ran per month are as follows:

January: 100km

February: 170km

March: 200km

April: 137km

May: 113km

June: 100km

July: 67km (so far)

Total so far for 2024: 787km

“I completed the Brighton Marathon in April, and it went really well. Because I was running the London Marathon just a couple of weeks later, I went a little bit slower and enjoyed the surroundings and the environment. My family were there, too. It was wicked. I also achieved a new personal best – 3hrs 38 minutes and then I ran London three weeks later and managed to get 3hr 26 minutes!”

So, like all runners, there’s that point in the race when you hit the wall, right? “I always struggle after 30km, so I think it’s important that you have your family at specific points along the route. The London Marathon was all a bit of a blur to be honest! I remember texting my parents in need of painkillers a few kilometres into the race but when I saw my family, I forgot all about needing pain relief and just waved and said hello to my family and friends!”

Ollie says his reason for running 100km a month is because ‘mental health isn’t on a specific day of the year’ so he decided to run not just on a given race day, and he likes that the challenge gives him a focus for the rest of the year and ‘makes him accountable.’  He is planning on doing the Ealing Half Marathon in September, but the majority of his running is completing 5km races and he does a couple of long runs on the weekends. He is also using his lunch break as the opportunity to complete runs and occasionally he runs into work.

It’s not all about running. Despite Ollie ‘keeping his feet on the ground’ with his incredible fundraising feats – he will have his feet off the ground and in the air when he takes on the skydiving challenge in August in aid of CPSL Mind.

“I think I will be nervous when it happens, I’m a little bit scared of heights but I think in a plane, I’m alright. Fingers crossed! Everyone at CPSL Mind has been so supportive, so I have to say a big thanks to everyone”, says Ollie.

London calling

It’s one thing to complete multiple challenges but Ollie is determined to change the conversation around mental health in his workplace. “I try to bring it back to the mental health aspect and not just about the sporting challenge itself. It shows people what they can achieve. It’s about pushing your boundaries, but also remembering that mental health happens every day and you don’t necessarily know what people are going through.”

A message to fundraisers

Ollie says that if you’re thinking about fundraising, just do it. He’s over the moon that he’s fundraised almost £2,000 so far.

“Any opportunity you have to fundraise, grab it with both hands. Everyone who you think won’t support you, will. You just have to do the work. You are only going to fundraise when you start that Just Giving page.”

As Ollie reaches new heights with his fundraising challenge, we wish him the very best of luck.

I now understand why Ollie’s friend felt so inspired to sign up to a running challenge after hearing his story and passion for running. After we said goodbye, I dig out my trainers from the cupboard and begin to write the intro for my own Just Giving page for The Great Eastern Run. I have recently joined the fantastic Riverside Runners running club in St Neots who are an incredibly welcoming group. Will Ollie be joining me at the Great Eastern Run? It’s his Birthday on race day and he’s disappointed not to be running that one – I think he probably deserves a rest…

If you would like to support Ollie’s fundraising challenge, you can donate on his Just Giving Page here You can sign up for the Great Eastern Run here.