Nantwich builder to push wheelbarrow across Britain for charity
Mr Challenor, from Nantwich, Cheshire, said he struggled with balancing family and work life, and also spent thousands to launch an app for tradespeople.The pressure led to him being admitted to hospital because he had not been eating or drinking for three days."It was really weighing me down, everything that hit me before Christmas just took me under," he told BBC Radio Stoke.
'Things will get easier'
Mr Challenor also struggled to sleep and would find himself walking around town in the early hours of the morning."The next day, you're not in the mental space to go to work so you're not earning any money," he added.The tradesman said it was a customer who noticed how low he was and they helped him turn a corner by focusing on the positive aspects of his life.He said walking, getting out into nature and learning to enjoy his own company helped him with his ongoing issues."Start to enjoy your own company," he said. "I promise things will get easier and things will get a lot better."
'Need picking up'
Mr Challenor's challenge will see him push a wheelbarrow from Land's End in Cornwall to John o' Groats in Scotland in 61 days.The wheelbarrow will contain the weight equivalent of his two children and he will walk the route solo in hi-vis clothingThe distance between the two locations is 603 miles, though he could end up walking up to 1,200 miles, he said, due to avoiding some of the main roads.As well as raising awareness of mental health, Mr Challenor will be fundraising for Band of Builders, a wellbeing charity for people in the industry.He said: "I want to spread a bit of happiness to people who are down in the dumps and need picking up."
If you've been affected by the issues in this story, help and support is available via the BBC Action Line.
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