11 Jun Heroes needed to support upcoming suicide awareness campaign

Brighton, Baton of Hope Tour 2023

Growing up, I became obsessed with comic books and exercise. I remember that people thought it was rather odd that I liked the two. I am still a massive geek and proud of it, and still love taking part in physical activity as well.

I would run comic fairs with my father from a young age, researching all the characters and being fascinated by all their super abilities. He would often sit me down and introduce me to all sorts of geeky shows, Anime, Doctor Who, The Lord of the Rings, the list goes on quite extensively.

Wanting to be smart like Batman, fast like the Flash and strong like Superman. That was just the start, without even crossing into the likes of the Marvel or Star Wars Franchises. Interesting thoughts to have whilst taking part in athletic competitions and different sporting events.

I grew out of this frame of mind, not! I still quote shows and movies when I am in the zone to get motivated, take from that what you wish, it sure can freak out others. I mean, saying “Kneel before Zod” or “You want to get nuts? Come on! Let’s get nuts”, it can be quite the surprise to someone who has no idea what you are referencing.

Superman was always a character that I loved, and the symbol he wore on his chest represented ‘hope’. The new Superman movie comes out in the Cinema this summer, so I will definitely be stopping by to watch.

I am a radical thinker and like to make things fun, my upbringing is a huge part of this. I was often the captain of my sports teams right up to and through university, and then the one leading the wild games on the playground.

I know what you are thinking. Where is this going? It all revolves around the word ‘hope’. I even included the word ‘hope’ in my daughter’s first name. With hope comes possibility, and this is something that I have always believed in, when losing a game and motivating the team to keep on fighting, not giving up when the times get tough and being around to support others at signs of struggle.

At times, life can hit us all hard, far harder than just losing a game, but with the risk of, or even losing a life of someone close to us. This is very hard, and at times, we can feel lost, unable to see a way forward. It is a horrible feeling, but hope is not lost. Hope is all around us; it is the light in the darkness, the sun during the day, and the stars at night.

Christopher Reeve said, “Once you choose hope, anything is possible”, which is a great line from a former Superman actor. He had such a hard life, but never stopped wanting to help others live theirs; such an inspiration.

This year, The Baton of Hope is taking place in Torbay as part of a national tour, the biggest mental health and suicide prevention event to take place nationally to date. On September 30^th, an event will take place where Baton Bearers will make their way across Torbay, people impacted by mental health/suicide will take a stand, and everyone is invited to come together in hope for better times ahead.

We are stronger together and can be heroes to each other, marching across Torbay, representing the south west with pride. I guess we have established that I am crazy about superheroes, but what I have learnt growing up is that we all have some hero within us, so let it shine bright.

This event will be extremely emotional as all of us can relate to hard times in our lives. You are not alone. Let this event be a reminder of that. Hope is the greatest superpower. So come together in support of each other and brighter futures to come. To commemorate those lives that have been lost. For more details on how you can get involved, please visit the Baton of Hope Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/BatonOfHopeTorbay. For general enquiries, reach out to [email protected] or visit the website: https://batonofhopeuk.org/. Always look towards the light and believe that there is hope in the darkness

Now is the time to bring about some positive changes. Be a hero and be there for others.