Marathon man Chris heading for Arctic

Marathon man Chris heading for Arctic

20 March 2013

‘THE Coolest Marathon in the World’ is how it is billed — and it will certainly be cold. Taking part in this remarkable event on Arctic ice — with as little as six feet separating him from 12,000 feet of Arctic Ocean — will be Chris Baird from Ballee.

Part of an elite group of just 46 people from across the world taking part in next month’s marathon at the North Pole, Chris is running to raise money for mental health charity MyMind, after he lost his mother to her battle with depression over three years ago.

Supporting him all the way will be girlfriend Zoe McCleery, from Killyleagh, who has decided to take part in this year’s Belfast Marathon to raise money for the same charity.

And having previously run the Belfast City Marathon with a time of three hours and 57 minutes, Chris is providing key tips for Zoe as the two get further into their rigorous training schedules.

“Although I may not be running in an exotic paradise, a heat blazing desert or a frozen ice sheet, as Chris keeps reminding me it is still 26.2 miles,” said Zoe.

Naturally she will be a little worried about Chris, however, who on top of all the demands of an average marathon has to contend with -37 degree chills, the possibility of getting torn apart by a polar bear, or going into cardiac arrest.

Both are inspired, however, by their joint mission to improve mental health services in Northern Ireland.

“On December 26, 2009, Chris lost his beautiful mother to her battle with depression,” said Zoe. “Currently within the UK and Ireland one in 10 individuals over the age of 12 are on antidepressants, one in four will suffer from depression or anxiety at some stage in their life and suicide has increased by 50 per cent in the last decade.

“These individuals need our help as waiting lists on the NHS can be as long as six months. This could be a crucial timing period, and one when the patient could be on the road to recovery. Chris is running this marathon for the people who need help, and who need it now.

“Chris’ mum didn’t get the help she needed in time and Chris doesn’t want this to be the case for the thousands of individuals in the UK and Ireland feeling depressed right now.”

Zoe said the MyMind charity was doing “incredible things” and that both she and Chris were very keen to support it.

“With MyMind it takes a maximum of 72 hours to get face-to-face treatment with a professional,” she said. “Chris currently works with MyMind and wants to ensure it continues to scale in size and to reach out to people’s lives.

“As well as contributing to MyMind Chris also spends a substantial amount of time working as an S2S counsellor and mentor at Trinity College Dublin, from where he will graduate later this year.”

Both Chris and Zoe are overwhelmed with the support they have received so far, but are hopeful they will gain much more.

To support and donate on their sponsorship page visit www.sponsor.ie/chris-baird/event/north-pole-marathon. Also, follow them on twitter: @RunForMyMind to stay up-to-date with upcoming fundraising events and their training progress.