Thank you for all of the support following my last post about losing my MOJO.  

I think I found it when out riding my mountain bike down the canal yesterday.  It was a ride for the sake of riding rather than with a purpose of training or putting in saddle time, other than to get a cup of tea and a cake with my mate.

I know I'm lucky in that I have a good support network of friends and family, I appreciate the support and guidance everyone in my life offers and I accept it graciously.

Over the weekend, one of our colleagues in the fitness industry Cori took her own life.  It has shocked everyone who knew her and our industry as a whole.

I only knew Cori through Facebook and from a couple of conversations on courses we'd been on.  She was crazy passionate about her dog, Diesel and shared lots of photos of him which made me feel like I knew her more than I did.

In the industry she was known as the Nut Cracker, she specialised in helping people who were struggling mentally.  She was driving a movement to raise awareness of mental health issues such as depression in the fitness industry and the wider world.

She was doing a great job, Cori spoke freely about her own struggles with depression.  She was certainly an inspiration to many.

Unfortunately, her demons took hold of her and she didn't see a way out.

Why am I writing about this?

Mental health is something that isn't discussed freely enough, it is often hushed away.  

Depression as an illness is often tossed over as something the person can just get over when they want to, that they are attention seeking or adding drama to their own lives.  I think the term depressed along with stressed get overused but that doesn't mean that they should be taken any less seriously.

Mental health needs to lose its stigma and be treated as a true illness like the physiological ones that have so much media and charity attention.

You probably know somebody who has depression, you may not be aware of it.  Often their outward image is that of a confident and together person, we need to make it more acceptable to talk when we are struggling to process things.

We need to educate doctors that there are options other than medication but that medication should always be considered and discussed with the patient.

Our love goes out to Cori's family and friends, she was a great coach and amazing person.

If you are struggling, please don't be embarrassed or think that nobody cares because they do.  If you need somebody to talk to we're here.  

If we can't help, we will put you in touch with people that can.