Faye’s double marathon will be a towering feat

Faye Duffy, 24, suffered from mental health problems herself but is now raising awareness to help others by taking on the Race to the Tower – a gruelling challenge through the Cotswolds.

The Heineken Race to the Tower event takes place on Saturday, June 8.

Participants taking part will be led by the Cotswold stone path, passing through quaint traditional villages and medieval burial grounds.

The route starts just outside the Gloucestershire town of Stroud and runs 52.6 miles, passing into Worcestershire before finishing at the foot of the Broadway Tower.

Faye will be walking the second leg of the race but is hoping to the finish the first half of the event in under four hours.

Faye has already raised more than £1,000 for the charity and is hoping to accrue more through her JustGiving page.

Faye said: “I decided to partake in the race because it stood out from the crowd, I wanted to push myself outside my comfort zone and I think the challenge the Race to the Towers provides will do just that.”

The race is the not the only challenge Faye has had to battle having had a prolonged problem with her own mental health. She said: “Pressure to do well in my exams and low self-esteem were the initial cause of my problem with depression, but I wasn’t diagnosed until I was in my late teens.

“It started to become a bigger problem at university, the same issues got worst, and I was lacking body confidence, so I decided to take a break from my studies to look after my health.”

To support Faye’s fundraising efforts, readers can make a donation via the following link at https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/f-duffy