Belfast friends complete 50-mile ‘walk and talk’ raising awareness for men's mental health

A former Belfast powerlifter has swapped the weights with wellbeing on a mission to help raise awareness of male mental health in Northern Ireland.

Ciaran May is eager to raise the bar in how we address the high and ever-increasing levels of mental health illness across the country and recently completed a 50-mile journey to show the power of a 'walk and talk' for those struggling.

With a background in the field of human behaviour and performance, specialising in the correlation between a high-performance mindset and looking after your physical and mental well-being, Ciaran is a passionate advocate for mental health awareness.

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Regularly undertaking challenges that align with his advocacy, Ciaran recently walked from Lisburn to Carlingford to highlight the power of a walk and a talk with his friend Gerard McClinton.

The pair walked a 50-mile route, covering four counties, 90,000 steps and a border crossing on their 16-hour expedition.

Speaking about the idea behind their 'walk and talk', Ciaran told Belfast Live: "Northern Ireland continues to have one of the highest rates of suicide compared to other regions in the UK and the majority of these suicides are males.

"The rates of addiction and incarceration within the male community is at an all time high and we need to take action.

"There is still a stigma around displaying any sign of vulnerability and a perception that this indicates weakness. We need to demonstrate to the male community that strength lies in sharing, whether that’s meeting up for a walk or grabbing a coffee together.”

Ciaran is the founder of Natural Resilience, the umbrella movement from which several communities have evolved. The overarching objective of Natural Resilience is to establish and grow communities that promote self-discovery and connection with others.

He continued: "Gerard and I undertook this challenge not to raise money, but to raise awareness for men's mental health, and the importance of getting out for a walk and talk with a mate.

"We hope other males, who are maybe struggling at the minute, will be inspired to seek out a friend and, in turn, the support they might need to keep going!”

Following the success of his inaugural Natural Resilience Conference in early 2024, Ciaran is seeking 350 guests to join him on Sunday January 19 2025, collectively challenging the Blue Monday concept.

Ciaran explained: "We are living through a technologically charged era that prides itself on how well connected we are. However the reality is that we have never been more disconnected, with levels of loneliness often referred to as an epidemic.

"I will be joined by several motivational speakers as we rewrite the script at a time where people are almost encouraged to feel low and dejected.

"Find Your Tribe is a movement, a message and a community built on connection, authenticity and trust and I am incredibly honoured to have this opportunity to share and explore our ethos and vision in a room filled with like-minded individuals."

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