Brother’s memory motivates Horsham runner ahead of marathon
Samantha Padgham, 36, is running for the mental health charity MIND, to raise awareness of mental illness.
It is a charity particularly close to her heart, as her brother Simon suffered from depression and anxiety and died days before his 38th birthday.
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Hide AdSamantha said: “He was a very intelligent guy, he had more degrees than I had hot meals!
“He struggled probably since he was about 18 years old. As a teenager he always worried what he looked like and I think he always thought he never fitted.
“He left behind quite a lot of close friends. He went to the Forest School and I think they struggled because you are not meant to lose a friend in their 30s.”
Samantha praised Simon as ‘bright’, ‘fun’ and added ‘he had hundreds of friends’.
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Hide AdShe also said that his death has had an impact on her outlook on life.
She said: “I try to look more on the positive side - I suppose I see that life can be short. It has made me braver in life, and I guess now nothing is that bad.”
Samantha is hosting a raffle at the Bedford pub in Horsham on Saturday February 8 to raise funds for MIND.
Beauty treatments, haircuts and meals will be among the prizes, and local band Matt Black are playing afterwards.
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Hide AdSamantha thanked all who have donated and local businesses for their support and generosity.
She added: “It (mental health) is a topic that people sometimes don’t want to talk about.”
To sponsor Sam, click here.