ABF The Soldiers' Charity

My Updates

Day 5

Well thank you everyone . We’ll day 5 was a real surprise I found out that I had COVID-19 so not only have I to be handcuffed to the medicine ball but I have to go into isolation as well, it really brings home the struggles people go through but thank you for following what I’ve been doing to try to help raise awareness

End of Day 3

Well what a great day when I took the challenge on I thought it would be a piece of P was I wrong I went for breakfast having one hand on the ball and the other on the tray needless to say nearly no breakfast without using the 3 second rule . I didn’t ask for help and it showed that I just struggle without help then it fetched home the thought that if I couldn’t ask for help to fetch my breakfast how hard is it to ask for help when you have PTSD or any other mental health problem the thing is I can take the ball off anytime I want if you’ve got mental health problems it’s not that easy

Donation on Bridlington Sea Front

Day 2

Day two

Sergeant Major Mark Yeardley takes on the Medicine Ball Challenge…

Even in 2021, there is still a significant stigma attached to mental health problems including stress, anxiety, PTSD and depression. The level of awareness and acceptance of mental health issues needs to be much higher and people should feel able to talk more freely. This is where the Medicine Ball Challenge comes in.

The challenge involves cuffing a 3kg Medicine Ball to your wrist for 7 days. It may not sound that heavy but being tied to the medicine ball continuously for seven days is a significant burden. The ball becomes a physical, visual and tangible representation of the invisible burden of mental health so many of us can experience. The challenge aims to create awareness, encourage people to talk about their mental health and to break down the stigmas associated with mental health problems. It's ok to speak up and say 'I'm not ok'.

Sergeant Major Mark Yeardley started the challenge on Friday 8th October. He spent time today (Saturday 9th October) visiting cadet training groups and explaining what the ball was for, what it symbolised and why he was taking on the challenge.

When the cadets asked why he was doing it, he said: “My reasons for doing the Medicine Ball Challenge are very personal ones. I personally have had mental health issues in the past and never spoke about it to anyone. I’ve had friends that have suffered and died through PTSD and even now, I have friends still struggling. If more people are aware that there is a problem, they may start asking if people are Ok, not just thinking people are Ok. Just having someone to talk to and admitting ‘it’s ok not to be ok’ will go along way to saving many lives.”

We are very proud of Sergeant Major Yeardley for taking on this challenge and raising awareness of the importance of mental health. If you would like to know more about the Medicine Ball Challenge or would like to donate to the cause, click the link below!

https://events.soldierscharity.org/fundraisers/markyeardley/medicine-ball-challenge

RFCA Yorkshire and The Humber Army Cadets UK ABF The Soldiers' Charity 103 Bn REME Royal Electrical & Mechanical Engineers - REME