World’s strongest man steps up in support of mental health charity
THE WORLD’S strongest man Eddie Hall joined 200 walkers going up Scammonden Steps to mark the first anniversary of a weekly activity run by a fast-growing Yorkshire mental health charity.
The former professional strongman, 31, who won the World’s Strongest Man 2017 competition, turned out to support the Get Fit 4 Mental Wellness charity, which was founded by Manuel Benages.
Also going up the 450 steps at the reservoir on the Calderdale/Kirklees boundary was TV personality Jenny Powell, along with walkers ranging from a four-year-old girl to a 79-year-old pensioner.
Amputee Ben Lovell tackled it on crutches while one mother carried her baby daughter up the five flights.
Every week around 75 people gather early on a Sunday morning to tackle a lap with the final climb up the dam wall.
Social media PR manager for the charity Alex Dillon said: “It’s a big family occasion, a lot of kids go. When I first saw them I thought ‘I don’t know if I can do this’. But everyone who does it says they feel amazing afterwards. You get to the top of the steps and everyone is clapping you. It is a great sense of achievement.
“As a charity we are a big believer that fitness improves mental wellbeing.”
The location is not far from suicide-risk Scammonden Bridge over the M62.
Mr Dillon said: “The point of the charity is to change the stigma around mental health.”
Statistics suggest around one in four people in the UK will experience a mental health problem each year.
* Comment online or on our Facebook page.