Melton runner Greeba Heard set to complete world marathons set in aid of CALM charity

The Tokyo Marathon is one of the six World Majors and this will complete the full set for Greeba Heard while Vicki Lowe will be facing her fifth.

The World Majors are a tough challenge which entails completing six marathons - Tokyo, Boston, London, Berlin, Chicago and New York City - to claim a unique six star medal.

Greeba, from Melton, is also currently undertaking a triple marathon challenge for charity.

Her chosen charity is CALM (Campaign Against Living Miserably) who support those at risk of, and those bereaved by suicide.

Sadly Greeba’s own life experiences have inspired her to raise awareness and understanding of mental health and do everything she can to ensure those struggling are able to access the services they need.

Greeba, who has lost three brothers through mental health, started running in 2017 and found it was a good way to unwind and have some ‘me’ time.

So far in this triple marathon challenge she has successfully completed the New York Marathon in November.

This will be followed by the Tokyo Marathon on Sunday and finally the London Marathon in April. What makes this even more exciting is that Greeba will collect her six star world marathon major medal in Tokyo.

A club spokesman said: “Stress, anxiety and depression can be devastating; they can affect anybody at any time.

“There are some moments in life that change you forever.

“It’s not something you can ever prepare for, but Greeba says that once you’ve been through something like that, you can’t help but think about how it could have been prevented.

“That’s why she is so motivated to do anything she can to help.

“We all have a responsibility to help change perceptions, challenge stigmas and be vigilant for others, but the first step is to increase awareness and understanding of what support is available.

“It’s so important to know who you can speak to. No matter how lonely you may feel, you are never alone.

“There are so many services that can help – and they are free to access.

“CALM run a free and confidential helpline and webchat seven hours a day, seven days a week for anyone who needs to talk about life’s problems.

“Approximately one in four people will experience some form of mental health issue each year. “Suicide is the biggest killer of men under 45 - in 2018, 4,661 men took their own lives.

“Also, three children in every classroom have a mental health problem and last year there were 177 suicides of 15-19 year olds.

“Please support Greeba if you can by donating via https://www.justgiving.com/page/greeba-heard-1728121466180.”