Rob’s Story – Boxing to raise funds for Manchester Mind.

Walking to the ring thinking about family and all the support I’ve had, with friends cheering you on is one of the best experiences I’ve ever had and to raise money for a great cause has been fantastic.

In November last year I decided to take up the challenge to book onto a ten-week boxing camp in order to raise money for Manchester Mind. I had heard about some of the work that Manchester Mind did but it wasn’t until I looked into it I realised just how much they did for mental health. This inspired me to raise as much as possible for the charity.

Unfortunately my father-in-law didn’t get the help he needed due to the stigma around mental health and took his own life. As a family we deal with this on a daily basis and have learnt over the years that opening up and seeking help is the best way forward. I work on the trains so I do come across mental illness and tragedy occasionally and it never gets easier.

Having never boxed before this boxing camp would be a huge challenge both mentally and physically but I wanted to give it my all. Throughout the training camp I was up early for work normally 3 or 4am and not getting home from training until gone 9pm. I found it really hard at times but the support I got helped me through the hard times. Leading up to the fight night the training intensified and I found speaking to people about why I was doing it really helped.

My fight wasn’t until gone 11pm so throughout the night I sat and watched the other contenders with the anticipation building. Every time I was struggling I would think of what some people are going through and what difference my fundraising will make, that would give me a little pick up every time.

Walking to the ring thinking about family and all the support I’ve had, with friends cheering you on is one of the best experiences I’ve ever had and to raise money for a great cause has been fantastic. I managed to win my fight but in the end the thing that mattered most was the support I had throughout the whole experience

I would say that most people have a link to mental health either themselves or a family member and I would encourage anyone to just talk, be open about it and do not be afraid or embarrassed to ask for help.

Find out more about how you can help us through a variety of fundraising opportunities.