Amy Turner, a train planner for Avanti West Coast, will be taking part in the London Marathon this Sunday to raise money for the Samaritans.

Having suffered from mental health issues herself, Amy decided to combat this by taking up running and took part in a local Couch to 5km challenge near her home in Wolverhampton.

Since then, she has been raising awareness and encouraging people to talk about their mental health.

Her determination to tackle her mental health issues continues to grow as Amy is also a team player for the Manchester Jetts Baseball team, which has taken her on a journey to representing Great Britain’s Senior Women’s team in Florence, Italy, last year.

This will be Amy’s first marathon run and she hopes that by taking part, supporting and fundraising for the Samaritans, her story will encourage more people who suffer from mental health issues to reach out for support from such organisations.

“I am a massive believer in the positive impact that running can have to support people’s mental wellbeing. I love just putting on my trainers and heading out to exercise.

Samaritans is a charity that means a lot to me for the amazing work they do to help those that are struggling and in need of someone to listen to. I was in a similar place myself six years ago where I was considering taking my own life and I was helped. I have grown so much since then and I want to inspire others with my story. Suicide impacts so many people and there is still lots of work we need to do as a society to encourage those that need help to speak up.”

Amy Turner, Train Planner, at Avanti West Coast

“Amy is a total inspiration – both in her courage to share her personal experiences, and taking on her first marathon.

At Samaritans, we know real examples of people overcoming suicidal thoughts can inspire others who are currently struggling to reach out for help. With every £10 raised helping our volunteers answer a possibly life-saving call, it’s thanks to supporters like Amy that we can continue providing emotional support, 24/7.

A massive thank you and good luck to Amy – we can’t wait to cheer her, and all our runners on around the iconic London Marathon route.”

Laura Woodcock, Head of Community and Events at Samaritans

Amy’s participation in fundraising for good causes is just the latest in a series of railway staff who have also taken part in major events to raise money for charity.

Last month, Mike Lowe, also an Avanti West Coast employee, raised money to install defibrillators in his local community by taking part in a marathon in Cheshire. While a Merseyrail employee took part in his own 107 mile ultramarathon by visiting all 69 stations on Merseyrail’s Wirral and Northern Lines while raising money for a local charity tackling domestic abuse.