A HEREFORD woman is taking on an ultra marathon in a bid to raise funds for – and awareness of – mental health nearly 10 years after her brother took his own life.

Back in 2005 the Hereford Times reported how Merlin Fradley, 25, suffocated himself with gas after researching suicide methods online.

His sister, Kate Fradley, was just 20 at the time but she is now determined to “open up the conversation” on suicide and the stigma that surrounds it while raising money for the charity doing just that.

The 30-year-old PhD student said: “As time goes on you process all of the information differently and I have had dips in my own mental health over the years.

"I had lots of support from my university and doctors but it’s not something that’s always easy to solve.

"My brother’s suicide has given me the knowledge to know that suicide is not an option, having lived with the consequences of what it puts the family through and the absoluteness of it.

“My brother will always be 25 and will never know what’s going on in the world. His suicide affected my mental health in the fact it’s protected me and made me ask for help.”

Having been a keen runner for many years, Miss Fradley decided to take on the Thames Trot Ultra 50 – “The Boat Race” – which will see her run from Oxford to Henley.

And while sport has been one of her own managing techniques over the years, she is not afraid to admit that this particular event is going to be quite a challenge.

“I’ve never succeeded at marathon distance but by taking on an ultra marathon I thought it might focus me enough to get it right," she said.

“The other thing is that because I always talk so much about running and how I’m running for something and having to live my social life around it everyone becomes very aware of what I’m doing and I realised the conversation needed to be opened up more.”

Miss Fradley is also using the written word to help dispel the stigma surrounding mental health.

She has set up her own online blog, tackling various aspects of her own experiences and aiming to raise awareness.

She will be raising money for Mind – the mental health charity which shares her objectives in attacking the stigma while supporting those affected.

To make a donation visit justgiving.com/KateFradley/ or to read Miss Fradley’s blog visit http://katefradley.wordpress.com/