James Gwinnett a former contestant and finalist on the TV show SAS: Who Dares Wins is set to share his story next month at The Business Exchange South West Charity Conference & Expo on Thursday 15th June at Bath Racecourse.
James who is now Associate Director at Bath-based Clearly PR came forward to show his support for the day following a post Anita Jaynes, Founder and Organiser of the conference put on LinkedIn regarding mental ill health and the recent loss of a friend and colleague.
Anita said, “My heart is broken today. Another family has been left without a son, grandson, nephew and brother due to mental ill health and lack of support. I know of four men who have been lost to mental health issues in less than six months. We need change and we need it now.”
Many commented on the post including James who said, “hopefully tragedies like this can be the catalyst for change” and that’s when a conversation started between the two about The Business Exchange Charity Conference & Expo and how it could be used to open up the conversation about mental health.
James is no stranger to sharing that following a serious rugby injury he was plunged into a state of depression which led to alcohol addiction. He was previously a semi-professional player, but injury stopped play following a rugby tackle which almost paralysed him. His life as he knew it was over and he sought to fill the void at the bottom of a bottle.
A three-year spiral ensued but James turned his life around when he realised what he was missing in his life was the discipline and routine that rugby gave him. James added, “Routine is incredibly important to me, and rugby gave me that. Gym, training, eating healthily; my whole week was geared towards kick off at 3pm on Saturday afternoons. That fell away in the blink of an eye and losing the camaraderie that you get from a game like rugby was equally tough.”
James Gwinnett competing on SAS: Who Dares Wins
Seeking a challenge that would help turn his life around, he signed up to run the London Marathon; a seemingly impossible task for an alcoholic, 17-stone former rugby player. But a year later, after crossing the finish line, he caught the running bug and has subsequently taken on a series of increasingly arduous ultra-marathons of 100-miles and more. Never one to do anything by halves, James continued to push himself, signing up to be a contestant on Channel 4’s SAS: Who Dares Wins. The programme sees ex-special forces soldiers putting recruits through a recreation of the SAS selection process and the ultimate test of their physical and psychological resilience.
Now seven years sober, at The Business Exchange South West Charity Conference & Expo James will share his journey and how running helped save him from himself.
All businesses, charities, not for profits and individuals are welcome to attend the talk and tickets are free thanks to the support of event sponsors Stone King LLP, Milsted Langdon LLP and RBC Brewin Dolphin. To book your tickets click here.
As part of the session, local charities and organisations will be available to meet delegates to discuss how they can help those suffering from mental ill health, anxiety, abuse, or addiction to show that there is a way out and support available. Charities present include Bath Mind, FearLess, Bath Rugby Foundation, and Youth Connect South West.
According to a Mental Health First Aid England (MHFA) 1 in 4 people experience mental health issues each year.
Here are some key stats on the impact of mental ill health:
- At any given time, 1 in 6 working-age adults have symptoms associated with mental ill health
- Mental illness is the second-largest source of burden of disease in England.
- Mental illnesses are more common, long-lasting and impactful than other health conditions
- Mental ill health is responsible for 72 million working days lost and costs £34.9 billion each year
- The total cost of mental ill health in England is estimated at £105 billion per year
- People with a long-term mental health condition lose their jobs every year at around double the rate of those without a mental health condition. This equates to 300,000 people – the equivalent of the population of Newcastle or Belfast
- 75% of mental illness starts before age 18
- Men aged 40-49 have the highest suicide rates in the UK
- 70-75% of people with diagnosable mental illness receive no treatment at all
Click here to read the full report.
Pictured above: James Gwinnett, Associate Director, Clearly PR
