Saddle to Sea

We hear from Katy Roberts, who cycled solo around the coast of Britain to raise awareness of suicide.

I’ve finished a cycle around the coast of Britain – all 3,500 miles of it! Why, might you ask? I wanted to do something to raise awareness and start a conversation about suicide and mental health as I lost my dad to suicide when I was 17. I’m 34 now, and it’s taken me a really long time to be able to talk about it. Suicide is the biggest killer of people under the age of 35 and the biggest killer of men under the age of 50. I wanted to do something to help others and reduce this statistic; this was the only way I knew how.

Riding in support of Cornwall Mind a local charity, Sport in Mind a charity helping people to get into sport and Papyrus a charity dedicated to the prevention of young suicide, my aim was to raise awareness of a topic that is very important to me. Sometimes people can lose hope if they don’t know what help is out there and they may feel very alone. There is a current mental health crisis with really long waiting lists within the NHS. If I can help to encourage people to get outdoors, get moving and join a community, these can hopefully be small steps people can take if they are waiting for, or would prefer not to take, medication. 

I asked people to join me along the way, to hop on a bike and if they didn’t have a bike, then to join me for a dip as I got in the sea almost every day. I wanted it to be a safe space for people to talk, so they could be open if they had lost someone to suicide, were dealing with their own mental health struggles or simply wanted to spend time outside in nature. I had around 40 people join me on the ride during which I had some of the most profound and beautiful conversations.

For anyone struggling, Papyrus has a confidential support service, HOPELINE247, for children and young people under the age of 35 who are experiencing thoughts of suicide or for anyone concerned that a young person could be thinking about suicide This service is staffed by trained professionals and offers a telephone text and email service, offering practical advice and support. Call 0800 068 4141 text 88247 or email pat@papyrus-uk.org