to shine a light on men’s health during Movember.
Kicking off on Oct 28, the 29-year-old will cover over 275 miles around East London during her ultra-marathon challenge which aims to shine a light on men’s mental health.
Tomo explains: ‘This year, Movember has hit especially close to home after my partner’s cancer diagnosis. Watching someone you love endure pain and uncertainty can leave you feeling powerless. But instead of standing by, I’m choosing to take action in the best way I know. This November I am attempting to run 21 half marathons for 21 days during Movember.
‘I hope to raise awareness and support the research and care that can make a difference for men battling cancer, as well as the mental health struggles that come with it. Every step I take is or my partner and for all the families facing similar challenges. Now in its 21st year, Movember has become the leading global men’s health movement, raising awareness and funds for men’s mental health, including suicide prevention, prostate and testicular cancer.
Men’s health is a national concern. Men are dying on average 4.5 years earlier than women, and for largely preventable reasons with 60 men every 60 minutes losing their life to suicide.
Tomo knows her Ultra-marathon challenge is going to push her physically and mentally, but she is motivated to get men to seek help for medical conditions as soon as possible. ‘Research shows that men often wait weeks, month and even years with physical or mental health symptoms before seeking help. Movember is doing an amazing job at encouraging men to open up more and realise that it’s ok to speak about their health.
‘I’m really excited. I know it’ll be tough, but I love a good challenge and I’m confident I’m capable of completing the challenge. This is an uncertain time for me personally, so while this is for men’s mental health too, I know that running and getting immersed in a challenge like this will help my mental health massively as well. ‘