Seán O’Hara’s 30 marathons in 30 days

At 25 years old, Seán O’Hara decided to run 30 marathons in 30 days for Movember. No, he wasn’t doing this because he was a running fanatic. He did it to raise awareness and funds for men’s mental health and the 60 men we lose every hour to suicide globally.

Back in 2018, Sean hit a tough patch. Depression crept in, and he felt trapped in his own head. But after having reached a better place in his mental health journey and coming out stronger, he wanted to give back to people that helped him along the way. That’s when Movember came into his life.

Seán’s wispy moustache not only raised some Euros, but started conversations. “Seeing the difference that made over the course of the month made me want to go back and do it again, and again, and here we are,” Seán said, gearing up for his epic marathon challenge.

Each day, each marathon, brings Seán new faces, new chats, and new chances to get people talking. His goal? To make it easier for others to open up about their mental health.

“It’s said over and over again, but just opening up and talking about it makes it so much better. At the time I was going through it, I was a young man who was in a very masculine environment around sports and no one was talking about their mental health.

I wrongly assumed that people would look at me differently or act differently if I told them what was going on in my head. But then, once you get the monkey off your back and talk about it, it makes it a lot easier to talk again and again. It’s that old saying of a problem shared is a problem halved,” says Seán.

This World Mental Health Day, we encourage you to prioritize your mental health and start conversations about men’s mental health, just like Seán continues to do.

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If you spot a friend whose behaviour is out of character, that's your sign to check in with them. Learn more about how to spot the signs.

If you or someone you know is in crisis or needs emotional support we urge you to head to movember.com/getsupport for crisis support options. To speak with someone immediately, contact your local 24-hour support service.