Wigan woman's epic 365-mile charity walk

The Wigan 27-year-old who said she once felt “numb to life” due to depression and a restrictive eating disorder is walking 365 miles across three cities to raise awareness of challenges faced by young people — and to launch a charity inspired by her own recovery journey.

Sam, a mental health first aid instructor, embarked on the 17-day trek from London this weekend, first heading up to Middlesbrough and then on to Manchester, finishing on June 16.

Each city, she says, played a "pivotal role” in her healing.

Sam first began experiencing depression during secondary school in London, describing that period as a time when she felt she was “existing rather than living.”

“From around the age of 15, I began experiencing depression, where I felt numb to life and struggled with daily tasks,” she said.

“I lost all sense of enjoyment in hobbies: it felt like I was just existing.”

During that same time, she also developed Avoidant Restrictive Food Intake Disorder (ARFID), an eating disorder characterised by a deep fear of certain foods.

“I only eat approximately a dozen foods,” she continued. “For those of us with ARFID, everyday situations can be filled with challenge.

“From going to restaurants where there’s nothing safe to eat and ordering only a drink, to the anxiety of whether familiar dishes will be prepared correctly and even struggling to find anything we can eat in fully stocked supermarkets.

“Naturally, experiencing this at such a young age caused my mental health to take a hit.”

Now, over a decade on from what she describes as her “most difficult period,” Sam is preparing to launch Support For Us, a new charity dedicated to improving youth mental health through early intervention, education, and accessible resources.

Her cross-country walk will help fund the charity’s first wave of training sessions, resource development, and outreach programmes, all aimed at supporting young people in navigating mental health struggles.

“This walk is both a personal challenge and a way to show how far I’ve come,” she said.

“As a teenager, I felt like I couldn’t seek support, because of how CAMHS (Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services) was set up.

“I worried my parents would find out if I reached out to CAHMS. That fear of being exposed made everything feel so much harder — I felt completely alone.”

Through Support For Us, Sam hopes to ensure that no young person feels the same.

“Support for Us will offer subsidised or free training to communities so financial barriers don’t prevent people from learning how to support young people,” she explained.

“In the long term, we’ll run workshops in schools for both students and teachers, and create online resources — like posters, info sheets, and guides — for parents and professionals.”

The walk — requiring Sam to cover nearly 20 miles each day — will also spotlight a different youth mental health issue daily, ranging from stigma and isolation to barriers in accessing care.

Sam plans to share live updates and videos on social media throughout the journey to foster real-time connection and engagement.

“I have chosen London, Middlesbrough and Manchester as my set locations as I’m from London, but I moved to Middlesbrough for a few years before relocating to Manchester,” she explained.

“How my walk will work is each day I do a set route, and then each day has a theme, and that theme will determine as to what blog I will be posting on the day, which is all surrounding mental health and young people’s mental health, as well as my own experiences.

“I will publish daily blog posts each lunchtime discussing my progress, accompanied by spontaneous video reflections documenting my experiences on the road. You can follow my progress on social media.”

In the meantime, Sam’s advice for those supporting young people is this: “Talk more about mental health. Make sure young people know they can come to you without fear of being judged — whether you’re a parent, a teacher, or a friend.”

And her motivation for the walk remains rooted in this type of connection: “If even one young person feels seen or supported because of this, then every step will have been worth it.”

CAMHS have been contacted for a comment.

More information about the walk, its route and themes, and Support for Us, visit https://supportforus.co.uk