Weightlifter offers up tonnes of help for mental health cause with incredible deadlift challenge

Super-strong Mark Kelly from Otley has suffered from crippling mental health issues for the past five years, so set himself a challenge to deadlift his Peugeot 208.

He calculated he needed to lift the vehicle 107 times to lift an eyewatering 102,550kgs in total– the number of men who have taken their own lives in the last five years, multiplied by the number of years he has battled his own demons.

The 43-year-old originally planned to carry out the arm-numbing objective over two days outside the gym he attends, Club Energy in Otley, but managed to complete it in around four-and-half hours on Friday morning.

There was no shortage of support as gym users and passers-by were on hand to offer encouragement.

He set himself a £500 fundraising target, which he has now surpassed.

Anyone wanting to still donate to Mark’s cause can click here.

Mark, who works as a NHS social prescriber, said: “It was an interesting one, it went a lot quicker than we thought. It was my Peugeot that I used because nobody else wanted me to use their car!

"There was a lot of energy which helped – people buzzing in and out of the gym, my coach was there and I dyed my hair bright pink so people had to notice me!

“It was just a nice day. We were aiming to do 10 deadlifts an hour, but because of the energy around me I was doing 10 deadlifts every 20 or 30 minutes.

“It’s something I’m very passionate about, it was very hard on the body and the mind – my arms felt stretched after it, but I was back in the gym the next day.

"I have struggled with poor mental health. It's tough living through the brutal mental health ups and downs. Its time to give back and raise awareness.”

The father-of-two began suffering from debilitating mental health problems in 2018, and has attempted to commit suicide three times, the last being at the start of this month when he admits his depression “dropped off a cliff”.

Mark says that he took up strongman training to alleviate the pressure and has become a regular gym user, often entering local competitions.

He added: “You can really lose yourself in the gym, and I decided strongman was the way to go.

"It really helped me because there’s nothing for males. You just get told to ‘man up’ and I hate that. How does it help?

"This is helping to break down barriers."

A group for men to discuss their problems was recently opened in Otley for which Mark is eager to spread the word.

M.I.N.T – Men in Need Together – invites males to attend weekly support groups to open up about their issues.

Otley is the latest group to be formed, with existing sessions in Morley, Middleton and Wakefield.