Nath Curtis’ account of his ‘Journey of Mental health awareness for Movember’.
In the last half-decade, my life has been a whirlwind of sweat, determination, and purpose as I embarked on an inspiring journey of mental health awareness through a series of fitness challenges, all in support of the Movember Foundation.
It began as a personal commitment to break the silence surrounding men’s mental health and has evolved into mad physical challenges to push my body to its absolute limits, symbolising the extreme lows which men can and do experience.
Where it all started…
In 2019, fuelled by a desire to make a meaningful impact, I launched my first fitness challenge with the goal of raising awareness and funds for Movember. This correlated the fact I was in a low and dark place. I was deployed on Operations, thousands of miles from my family when the message came through that Millie, my 3 year old daughter, had been admitted to hospital.
The Twins
This was not an unusual occurrence… The twins, Millie and Charlotte, were born 10 weeks premature due to pregnancy complications. We were told there was a twenty percent chance that both would survive and were even asked at 21 weeks to terminate one of them, to give the other a better chance of survival. The frequency of hospital appointments rapidly increased and until we were told ‘we need to deliver them right now; one is going to die’.
Once born they settled into a two week stint at Leicester Royal Infirmary, followed by a 5 week stint in Peterborough City Hospital. Finally, they were discharged on World Premature Baby Day, 17 Nov 2016. However, 6 weeks later we were rushed back to hospital and told to prepare for the worst. They had contracted a viral respiratory infection and were dependent on oxygen and it was uncertain if Charlotte would survive… but she did. God bless the NHS! For the next 15 months the hospital became our second home.
Fast forward to our family move to Cyprus… the admissions had ceased, until I deployed and Millie was admitted!
I had always been the one who travelled in the ambulance and who always liaised with the doctors to shield my wife from any devastating news I could. When I couldn’t do this due to being deployed, I felt like a failure, believing I had failed in my duty as a father and as a husband. I withdrew from friends and communication at home, I started to use physical activity as a form of punishment, pushing my body to extreme limits, unsure who to turn and talk to. Until a friend sat me down and said ‘we need to talk’ as he was worried about my change of character. If it was not for this man, Pete Ward, I do not know where I’d be!
The first challenge
My first challenge was focussed on the number 60 (the number of males who sadly take their own lives every hour). I decided to row 60km without stopping and in conjunction I organised a coffee morning to encourage communication about men’s mental health. I set out with a goal of raising £600 and in the end, raised over £800. I was overwhelmed with emotion upon completion and vowed to support Movember every year.
Subsequent challenges include:
- 2020 – Ultramarathon (60km) 06:06:34 raising £945
- 2021 – 1952 Ultra Challenge (65.26km) 11:30:11 raising £1830
- 2022 – Extreme Gym2Gym (103km) 14:46:35 raising £1521
- 2023 – End2End (290km) 4 days raising £1340
Total raised: £6470
The efforts have become a transformative experience, the challenges tested my endurance and have served as symbolic representations of the struggles many men face in silence. Over the years the momentum has grown, gaining support from friends, family, and even strangers. The power of collective effort emphasises the importance of unity in breaking down stigma and fostering open conversations about mental wellbeing. I could not have achieved half of what I have without, my wife by my side, my children, my family and friends giving up so much to support me. I am truly grateful for everything.
Beyond the physical
The impact has extended beyond the physical challenges. As I reflect on my journey thus far, I am grateful for the unwavering support of those who have joined me in this endeavour. Together, we have proven that through physical challenges, open dialogue, and a collective commitment, we can make a lasting impact on men’s mental health. The road ahead is promising, filled with more challenges, conversations, and opportunities to redefine the narrative around mental well-being and I am determined to keep pushing boundaries year, after year, after year!!
This years challenge
I am running from RAF Henlow to SHAPE, Belgium – 402km over 6 days, equating to 67km a day, an Ultramarathons day! The run will start on 24th November and finish on 29th November.
I am completing this challenge in aid of the Movember Foundation, in particular Men’s Mental health.
