Running in my brother's memory

Will you help me raise money to improve mental health? I would greatly appreciate if you could donate and share my post.

Anyone who knew my brother Sander, knows how special he was. He had the best sense of humor, was smart beyond his years, creative, athletic, charming, ambitious, and so much more. However, the pain of his depression made his life too hard to live, resulting in him taking his own life at the age of 18.

I wish I could create more memories with him, laugh with him about jokes only we find funny, share new songs with each other, run laps around the lake together, hug him, see him grow up. I miss the mundane moments with him and I will always feel the gap when he’s not there to share life’s milestones with.

December 21st of this year it will have been 10 years that Sander passed away. One of Sander’s eldest and best friends, Rutger de Roo, started the incredible initiative this year to raise money to improve mental health, in remembrance of Sander. So far, Rutger has run a half marathon and a marathon in order to raise money. With this he has already raised more than € 4.300 euros.

I decided to join Rutger in this initiative. 3 months ago, I started my running journey. May 14th, I ran the 10KM of the Leiden Marathon and on October 15th, I will be running the Half Marathon in Amsterdam.

Suicide is the leading cause of death for people under 30 in the Netherlands. In 2022, more than 1900 people in The Netherlands took their lives. Sander’s path is irreversible, but with this initiative I hope to make a difference in improving mental health and preventing suicide.

Together, Rutger and I will donate to the following organisations:

The fundraisers will run until 21 December 2023, 10 years after the day he passed away. Thank you so much for your time and engagement.