A Journey Within a Journey
As I reflect on the weekend, my mind is filled with memories—snapshots of what I did and what I achieved.
This was no ordinary weekend. It had been planned for months, and I had looked forward to it with equal measures of excitement, nerves and, if I'm honest, a little apprehension.
This was the weekend I took on the Yorkshire Three Peaks Challenge.
Those who know me will know that I have been on a journey of my own over the past few years. Like many, emerging from the enforced hibernation of Covid, I finished 2022 weighing 129kg. Exercise wasn't part of my life. Walking upstairs felt like enough activity for one day.
Today, a much leaner 90kg and unrecognisably fitter, I'm sitting here on Sunday afternoon having completed the 40km circuit of Pen-y-Ghent, Whernside and Ingleborough. And, for the record, not a single blister to be seen!
Our group narrowly missed completing the route inside the famous 12-hour target, but that honestly didn't matter to me. Crossing the finish line did.
Like so many charity challenges, the day wasn't just about personal achievement. It was about raising money for an incredible cause.
Our team was walking in support of Construction Sport, a charity founded by Steve Kerslake to support people working within the construction industry who are struggling with their mental health.
The reason the charity exists is genuinely heartbreaking. On average, two construction workers die by suicide every single day. Read that again. Every day.
Sadly, this issue is far from abstract for me. Someone very close to my family, my nephew, went through his own incredibly dark period. Thankfully, he came through it. Many others never get that opportunity.
Mental health struggles are rarely visible. They are often hidden beneath humour, confidence, bravado or the simple phrase, "I'm fine."
Construction Sport exists to change that.
Steve and his team provide somewhere people can talk, connect with others, realise they are not alone and begin rebuilding their lives. Sometimes, simply knowing someone is listening can be the first step towards recovery.
As the miles passed beneath our boots and the climbs became steeper, something struck me.
Here we were—a group of people connected through construction—walking together, encouraging one another, sharing food, stories, laughter and conversation. Without really thinking about it, we were doing many of the very things that experts tell us are good for our mental wellbeing.
The journey itself became a reminder of why organisations like Construction Sport matter so much.
By taking on this challenge, we have raised money that will help Steve, Alex, Will and the wider team continue providing that support to others who desperately need it.
Without charities like Construction Sport, without people prepared to give their time, and without safe places where people can ask for help, those terrible suicide statistics are unlikely to improve.
If our efforts help just one person choose tomorrow instead of giving up today, then every step, every climb and every aching muscle will have been worth it.
But as I sat reflecting afterwards, another thought occurred to me.
Some people will look at completing the Yorkshire Three Peaks and shrug. Compared with ultra-marathons, Ironman events or mountain expeditions, perhaps it isn't that extraordinary.
They're probably right. But achievements are personal.
For me, this wasn't simply about walking 40 kilometres across the Yorkshire Dales. It was proof that the man who once weighed 129kg and, for the previous several years, had avoided exercise altogether could transform himself into someone capable of completing a challenge he would once have believed impossible.
That's something no one else gets to measure but me.
And perhaps that's the biggest lesson of all. Perspective matters. What seems insignificant to one person may represent the greatest challenge another has ever faced.
The same is true of mental health.
One person's struggle may be invisible to everyone around them, but to them it can feel like climbing a mountain with no summit in sight.
The difference in my case was that when I reached the top of Pen-y-Ghent, Whernside and Ingleborough, I could simply start walking back down.
For someone living with poor mental health, there isn't always an obvious way back. That's why charities like Construction Sport matter.
Sometimes the greatest journey isn't across three Yorkshire peaks.
Sometimes it's helping someone find the strength to face another day.
Christopher Selby
26 July 2026
