The Story

“We have a heartbeat”, the doctor exclaimed in surprise. My pregnant wife was whisked into the operating theatre as one of the midwives asked “have you both said your final goodbyes?” This question would, in time, trigger a change in our lives forever. I was a young hard-working executive with a multinational corporation and together with my wife, we were expecting our first child. Unknown to us at the time, my wife had suffered an abruption, the placenta had separated from her uterus resulting in both her life and the life of our unborn daughter hanging in the balance. Seven minutes later we became parents to a tiny, premature and dependent baby girl. Thirty days later, my wife was also to have a dependent husband as from my work pressures and the emotional rollercoaster of my daughter’s birth, my mental capacities had shutdown courtesy of severe anxiety and clinical depression.

I should have been the happiest man alive with my girls, however, I found myself relying on them for support rather than me supporting my new family – that was a very humbling experience. I felt inadequate, embarrassed and the feeling of weakness and dependency crippled my outlook as to what could lie ahead. Since that day, nearly 15 years ago, my journey has been one of searching and surviving which led to restoration, thriving and providing encouragement for others at every opportunity. For me, part of the answer to my recovery was found in running, engaging support networks, seeking spiritual connection and maintaining a healthy lifestyle. Today, it’s time to share my story through Outrun331.