OUTRUN THE DARK: Mental Health Awareness

On August 5th, I will be competing in Bob's Big Timber Backyard Ultra Last Man Standing race. As always, I am attempting to raise the bar in my efforts to spread mental health awareness and support suicide prevention. One aspect of my mission is to fundraise money for the Josh Merriman Foundation. Please consider donating to this worthy cause. Above all please pray for all those struggling with mental illness and for me as I continue my endeavors.

For those of you who don’t know, Josh took his own life on September 16th, 2017 after a long struggle with mental illness due to sports-related concussions. The Josh Merriman Foundation exists to enhance concussion (traumatic brain injury) knowledge, expand mental health awareness and improve suicide prevention in the local community, especially among athletes.

Josh was one of my closest friends growing up. We went to school together from pre-K up until graduating from Steubenville Catholic Central High School in 2014. He was a brother to me. For many years, we did everything together. Anything from going to hockey games to watching our favorite WWE wrestlers to playing wiffle ball in his backyard and so much more. Josh was a very outgoing, hardworking and passionate young man. From academics to sports and everything in between, he strove to be the best he could in whatever he set his mind to; you always found him making the most out of every situation with a smile on his face. With this fundraiser, I am hoping to keep his memory very much alive while helping the Josh Merriman Foundation achieve its goals.