RiDE (UK)

‘Biking saved me’

Alex Belokon owes his life to being a biker and, more specifical­ly, the Mental Health Motorbike charity.

- USEFUL CONTACTS https://mhmotorbik­e.com www.mind.org.uk www.samaritans.org

Alex was knocked off his Honda VT750 Shadow last July and suffered a badly broken ankle, which left him in hospital then house-bound for the second half of 2020. Being stuck inside saw his mental health deteriorat­e.

“I was in a bad place from September to November. I’d discovered MHM and was impressed how they supported each other. When I was feeling really low I told Paul (Oxborough) and he immediatel­y put a support bubble in place for me.

“I’d been self-harming to try to relieve the pain of what I was going through, so MHM had someone contact me every four

hours to make sure I was ok. That made a big difference. I can’t speak too highly of them. It’s no exaggerati­on to say that I wouldn’t be here if not for them.

“I’ve experience­d mental health issues for over 20 years and I’m bi-polar as well, but when I can get out on my bike it helps me go to a better place. Riding and the Mental Health Motorbike charity are two things that have definitely helped me.”

 ??  ?? - and Mental Riding
- helped Health Motorbike enormously
Alex
- and Mental Riding - helped Health Motorbike enormously Alex

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