Servicewoman ran for 24 hours while handcuffed to a 3kg ball in aid of mental health awareness

Servicewoman Sergeant Naomi Benson ran for 24 hours around a running track in Tidworth, Wiltshire, with a 3kg medicine ball strapped to her wrist to raise awareness of, and encourage and normalise conversations about, military and civilian mental health.

The gruelling challenge at Tidworth Oval athletics track began at 6am Wednesday 9 February and ended at 6am Thursday 10 February. Sgt Benson stopped only for comfort breaks as she completed a staggering 300 laps of the 400m track, the equivalent of 75 miles.

The medicine ball she carried represented the unseen burden of mental health problems. Her event was part of the nationwide fundraising ‘Medicine Ball Challenge’, which is raising money for ABF The Soldiers’ Charity and veterans’ mental health charity Combat Stress.

After completing her exhausting challenge, 34 year old Sgt Benson is remaining handcuffed to the ball for an additional six days to encourage more conversations about mental health among those she encounters during that time.

Sgt Benson, stationed at Regional Command – the Army’s HQ for the UK - said: “I chose to take on the Medicine Ball Challenge because I love what it represents. The unusual concept of being handcuffed to the ball strikes up conversation and gets people talking about mental health, something that is so often invisible and forgotten.

“I decided to go one step further by taking on this running challenge, as I thought it would raise even greater awareness. I decided on 24 hours to represent how mental health can affect people at any time of the day or night.

"The challenge was not as difficult as I thought it would be, which is down to the sheer amount of support I received. I had company for most of the laps including in the rain and throughout the night.

"I feel happy that this challenge managed to bring people together and hope that it encouraged conversation, showed people that they are not alone and help is out there, including from amazing charities such as Combat Stress and ABF.”

To find out more about her challenge, visit: https://events.soldierscharity.org/fundraisers/naomibenson/medicine-ball...