Bristol coach to run London Marathon for Healthy Minds scheme

Mr Sharda will take on the London Marathon on 23 April

A tennis coach who used running to bounce back from depression is taking on a marathon to help others struggling with their mental health.

University of Bristol coach Ravi Sharda said he felt extremely low at university and during the pandemic but "didn't want to let anyone down".

He said he found it hard to open up but when he did he "let go" of shame.

Mr Sharda will run the London Marathon to raise money for mental health sport scheme, Healthy Minds.

The project is a University of Bristol physical exercise programme aimed at boosting student mental health.

Mr Sharda said he felt "shame" whenever he tried to talk about his depression

Mr Sharda said he knew he needed to make a change when he found himself crying on his bed in 2021.

"Growing up, mental health was never a topic spoken about much," he said.

• How to follow the marathon

"So when it came to times when I felt low at university and during the pandemic, I felt like something was seriously wrong with me, because I really didn't understand anything about depression.

"When I started talking about it I just finally felt like I wasn't holding this secret, this sense of shame."

Mr Sharda said running helped his mental health

He hopes to complete the London Marathon in under three hours while also raising money for a cause close to his heart.

"I really like Healthy Minds as it destigmatises physical activity. People might think 'my parents didn't do exercise, I've never done exercise' so it's not for me - but that's not the case," Mr Sharda said.

"Running has been really useful for me, but it's not necessarily for everyone. Sometimes it's just doing something that includes a goal, or being close to nature, or connecting with people.

"Something I've learnt is that it's completely normal to have low periods. A bad day isn't a bad life," he added.