White Fox Talking

E76: Three Peaks, Three Times In Thirty Six Hours - One Purpose with Bailey Backhouse

• Mark Charlie Valentine, Sebastian Budniak • Season 1 • Episode 76

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A dying head torch, a cold wind on Ingleborough, and a 19-year-old who refuses to quit—Bailey Backhouse joins us to share how he tackled the Yorkshire Three Peaks three times in 36 hours to raise funds for Andy’s Man Club. He’s an electrical apprentice by day, a boxer by training, and a mountain mover when purpose calls. What started as a bold idea over a family celebration became a community-backed fundraiser with real impact, powered by grit, family support, and a clear mission to push back against silence around men’s mental health.

We dive into how boxing gave Bailey structure, respect, and a way to channel anger into discipline. He opens up about social anxiety, the shock of big crowds post-COVID, and the period when drinking became a false fix that left him feeling worse. The turnaround came with movement: miles in the hills, time on the bags, better food, and sleep he guards on purpose. We talk through the pillars of wellbeing—nutrition, exercise, community, self-care, and quality sleep—and how stacking small choices changes your day and reshapes your mind.

Then Bailey drops the next challenge: 12 Marathons of Christmas in support of Candlelighters, a children’s cancer charity. He plans to work full-time and run a marathon each day for 12 straight days, leaning on mindset, recovery, and the same stubborn determination that carried him through the Dales in the dark. If you care about mental health, endurance, and the kind of community that shows up when it matters, this conversation will light a fire.

Follow along, share this story with a friend who could use a lift, and if it resonates, leave a quick review and hit subscribe. Your support helps more people find the show—and might just spark someone’s next brave step.

Instagram - Bailey Backhouse

GoFundMe - 12 Marathons of Christmas

Just Giving - Bailey's fundraiser for ANDYS MAN CLUB


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SPEAKER_02:

Hello and welcome to the White Fox Talking Podcast. Matt Charlie Volante. And at the controls. Seb? I can still drive him.

SPEAKER_00:

You can still I can still drive controls. Still drive the controls. Is that what you say?

SPEAKER_02:

I don't know. I don't know what you kids say of them, but you kids on the block say, what is it? Jen, what are you? Jen Zred Zed? Millennium. You're a millennial. Why are you laughing? I'm a baby boomer, apparently. Apparently. So how's things? Yeah, good. It's good to be back in the studio. Do you think? Yes. Big up to uh those before us that have uh come in and unplugged everything and left it. Well, I mean, the thing is, if everything works perfectly, you'd be out of a time off, wouldn't you? Yeah, no, I don't want that on. No, no. You don't want to. So, yes, back in the studio. Big up to Common Sense for our new apparel. Although you've not got yours on. Still rocking the old one. Yeah. And hopefully this is coming through loud and clear on your microphone, because you've decided to use a microphone donated very kindly by Impact Innovative. And I've got my water bottle. Anyway, we diversify. So shall we say hello to today's guest?

SPEAKER_00:

Yes, please.

SPEAKER_02:

The White Fox Talking Podcast is sponsored by Energy Impact. Hello, Bailey Backhouse. Welcome to the White Fox Talking Podcast. How are you? I'm all good, thanks. How are you? Um well, we've just seen us in action. You've just seen us in action, trying to get this sorted. Technology, mate. As we've said before, it's not for us. Could you? No, well, it's definitely not. Well, Bailey said it wasn't for him either. You know what I mean? Don't be don't be just stereotyping all young people that they're born with a you just said you were a baby boomer. Yeah, but I wasn't born with an iPhone iPad in my hand, like a lot of these a lot of young people are. And Bailey's one of them that isn't. Right. And we'll get round to that. I was so Bailey, could you give yourself a brief introduction just for the listeners?

SPEAKER_04:

Yep. So my name's Bailey, 19 years old from a little estate called Seacroft.

SPEAKER_02:

Seacroft mentals.

SPEAKER_04:

Leeds. And uh I'm an electrical apprentice, part-time boxer, part-time runner, and part-time mountain walker.

SPEAKER_02:

You've you've just answered all questions that I want to ask you. Yeah. So welcome, Bailey. I think you are the youngest guest we've had in so far. Oh, pleasure. And the reason we've got you in is because my old friend, and I mean old, my old friend Sean Hendrick tagged me into something that you've done recently as a fundraiser. So if you want to, I'll I'll let you say that because it is quite a big thing.

SPEAKER_04:

Yeah, right. I'd completed the Yorkshire three peaks three times in 36 hours for Andy's Man Club to raise funds and awareness.

SPEAKER_02:

Right, brilliant. I mean, three times in 36 hours. And when I first heard about it, because I once did it, I mean I've done it lots of times where I get paid for it, so it's quite easy. You have done it with me. Have you done it the once?

SPEAKER_00:

Yes.

SPEAKER_02:

Was that enough?

SPEAKER_00:

Sub ten hours for that.

SPEAKER_02:

Sub ten hours. Yeah. And you know what? The chal just for the listeners, the challenge is to do I think it's twenty-three and a half in old in old money. Twenty-three and a half mile, five thousand feet of ascent, and obviously decent. And the challenge is to do it in twelve hours. And most people, ten to twelve hours is achievable. But to do so, I did it I did it four times in four days. Yeah. Once a day. Yeah. I did it with four different groups, and it was all I think we did one that were nine and a half and one that was like pushing, pushing sort of with you know, to get there in the under 12. But to do it three times in 36 hours, how was that? Tough. Tough fucking tough. But you were doing it for a deserving charity, weren't you? So but when I've when I've looked, it wasn't three consecutive walks as in continuous.

SPEAKER_04:

So I managed to get about four hours' sleep. I did the first two back to back.

SPEAKER_02:

Oh did you?

SPEAKER_04:

Yeah. Completed them.

SPEAKER_02:

And how how quick?

SPEAKER_04:

I set off at seven and I ran Ran? What was this? I ran from Penny again to Wernside. Oh, okay. And then ran down Wernside, up Inglebrough and back. So the first lap for about six and a half hours. Right. Second for about ten, eleven maybe.

SPEAKER_02:

Oh, was it? So you had uh you slowed down on that?

SPEAKER_04:

Yeah, slowed down in the dark. We uh there were three of us walking that one.

SPEAKER_02:

Yeah.

SPEAKER_04:

And uh two of the head torches died. Right. That were good coming down Inglebrough with one head torch. But yeah.

SPEAKER_02:

And then the last one, what was that? Did you have sleep and then do the last one?

SPEAKER_04:

Yeah, I'd I'd sleep and then back out at seven o'clock for the last one.

SPEAKER_02:

Is that because your head torch had died, you couldn't sleep lay in any longer?

SPEAKER_04:

No, I just needed some sleep. Right. But yeah, I had all my family with me on the last one, which were great to get everyone out, get everyone together.

SPEAKER_02:

Yeah, it's good as I because I think on when I when I did the four in four, one day, because I'd do it for Jane Tomlinson appeal. Oh yeah. And Mike Tomlinson came on the second, he came on the third day and Jane's sister, and then on the fourth day, all my mates came up.

SPEAKER_03:

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02:

Hate it. They're still praying about it now. But it just that just gives you that bit of a buzz, doesn't it? To get to get people out. The chat that you did it was before was Andy's Man Club. Yep. So how did you why what made you pick Andy's man club?

SPEAKER_04:

So there's a bit of a funny story, to be honest. We were over and settle for my granddad's 65th birthday in June.

SPEAKER_02:

That made me feel really odd. Yeah. Anyway, Kenny, no offence to you, grandmad.

SPEAKER_04:

So he used to go to Horton in Ribblesdale on his school trips. So we got him over there, got the bus over, had a few beers, and um yeah, I said I'd do it twice, and then I had a few more beers and said I'd do it three times, and then said they're just giving Paige up that day. Right. So a group of men we went over, obviously. I think everyone struggles with mental health. Most people do. So I just thought I'd do something for Andy's Man Club because they're doing very good things right now.

SPEAKER_00:

Cool.

SPEAKER_04:

How have you heard about so I heard about Man Andy's Man Club quite a while ago. I've been following two guys, one Lou Cambler and the other Johnny Mason. So this year they've completed, I think, five Ironmans. So that's when I first heard of Andy's Man Club, and then I've just seen it everywhere. And then they came and did some work. I came and did some meeting with my uncle in his workplace.

SPEAKER_02:

Okay, yeah. That's their facilitators that go out to places. Yeah. Because we had Andy Bampton in, who's one of the one of the group facilitators that go out to places like that and introduce what they do and just talk about them in a in a workplace environment. Yeah, and then and then people get where they're they're interested in the meetings and stuff, yeah.

SPEAKER_04:

Yeah, that's it. So yeah, kind of just went from there, decided on Andy's Man Club and the rest is history.

SPEAKER_02:

The rest is history. Well, it's not complete history, is it? Because the fundraising is still going. Yeah, it is. We'll get to the link at the later on, but how much do you know if you've raised how much you've raised so far?

SPEAKER_04:

It's two just over two and a half grand.

SPEAKER_02:

Right.

SPEAKER_04:

So we the goal was a thousand. Right. And then in the last couple of weeks it went up to two and a half.

SPEAKER_02:

Was that through publicity and stuff?

SPEAKER_04:

Yeah, so I had a few reports on Yappa. On what, sorry? Yappa on Facebook. I think that's what Sean tagged you in.

SPEAKER_02:

Right, yeah, on Facebook, yeah.

SPEAKER_04:

And then Yorkshire Evening Post did a little bit on it as well. So that helped massively.

SPEAKER_02:

That's cool. And have you heard anything from Andy's man club since?

SPEAKER_04:

Yeah, I've been in touch with them since I start. They've been great. Yeah. Sending me uh stuff out to training, help promoting it, and yeah, definitely do some more stuff for him in the future.

SPEAKER_02:

So we should say you are a fit lad, like, to be fair, aren't you? I would you know, when I thought when I first saw the times you because I th originally when you said 36 hours, like, how's he done this? You know what I mean? Because if you're gonna do it three times in 36 hours, it's a 12-hour challenge. Are you just gonna do it constantly, go without sleep? Well, that was a plan to start with to do this, yeah. Because I do know so I do some a little bit, I know some people from candle lighters, and they did it twice in 24 hours.

SPEAKER_04:

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02:

But they just did it one way and then stopped and then reversed it.

SPEAKER_04:

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02:

Which I think they said it was quite tough, but the weather was tough as well. But to do it to go on for another another another wood, bloody hell, that's a lot. Yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_04:

So my family probably got me through the last one. My mum did the full three, my uncles aunties.

SPEAKER_02:

What the full three peaks? Yeah, they did the full three peaks. Right. And how many was in that group that you did on the on the last one? Round twenty. All right.

SPEAKER_04:

Round twenty of us. Cool. Yeah, it's a lot of good.

SPEAKER_02:

So can I ask who who led it? Who's sort of who's led them and who's decided that right we can just go hill walking?

SPEAKER_04:

Me?

SPEAKER_02:

Where have you learnt that?

SPEAKER_04:

So first hike I went on were actually for my 18th birthday, my girlfriend took me to the lake district for the first time. Right. So we went up Harrison Stickle, me, my girlfriend, my best mate Mason, and his girlfriend in Lang. So we went up to Langdale. Yeah. And then ever since then, it's just been that's it. Every bit of spare time I get, I'm out in the lakes, Wales, Dales, Peak District. Oh, good lad. Anyway.

SPEAKER_02:

Yeah, I think well obviously my background is from you know with the PTSD and getting and the the thing that got me back into any sort of normality was just going out and walking and being in the outdoors. But and I'm not gonna go on a ramp said, but what we've what we generally find eat uh a lot these days is you don't mind if I call you a younger person, do I? That's fine. Yeah, so you're obviously younger than me. But most people are these days. Yeah, yeah, that's what you feel I do. Anyway, so but what you find is there don't seem to be a lot of interest in the outdoors and exercise, or it seems to be weighing off, so yeah to find out that you did that three times in 36 hours and for a charity such as Andy's Man Club was really sort of that's what alerted me when you know what I mean. I'm like, yeah, we've got to get him in. Yeah, you know what I mean. So that so we've got a few things going on with the exercise and the outdoors. So can I ask, and you don't have to tell us, do you ever suffer with anything? You know, do you you know not don't have to be major because you did you did say earlier that everyone struggles with the mental health.

SPEAKER_03:

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02:

Now it doesn't have to be off the scale like mine was, but I honestly believe that yes, people do, and if they haven't, at some point they will have a low part.

SPEAKER_04:

Yeah, so as long as I can remember, I've always I've struggled speaking to people, so I've never been diagnosed with anything, but uh I've found find it hard to communicate with people just on a normal level. So it's pretty hard for me sitting here doing this now, to be honest with you.

SPEAKER_02:

Well, thanks for coming in, and then obviously we've got microphones going on, and what what the bits have we got going on so it's not it's not a welcoming environment over time, is it? No, definitely not for me.

SPEAKER_04:

Yeah, so I've had that going on all my life, since I can remember, and then when I were a bit older, struggled to control my anger, so just lashing out stupid shit, and then I found boxing.

SPEAKER_02:

Right. How old were you when you found boxing?

SPEAKER_04:

Nine, nine year old. I started boxing, a local club, Sharky's amateur boxing club. So from that I learned structure, discipline, and uh respect. But most importantly, I learned how to control my emotions and how to channel it into something that can actually do some good. So if anyone's out struggling, I'd recommend getting to a boxing gym, getting in the hills, just do something.

SPEAKER_02:

Not at the same time.

SPEAKER_04:

And that's it.

SPEAKER_02:

That has been mentioned about me leading a boxing gym up to do sparring on Inglebrook. It's a promotional thing. So you've been boxing, so you started boxing at nine years old. Was that just like uh was that a quick change do you think for finding boxing? Finding that outlet?

SPEAKER_04:

Yeah, to be honest with you, I didn't even want to go to start with. My little sister, she dragged me there. She wanted to go boxing, and I thought I can't let my little sister go without me. Right. So I went with her and then she sort of stopped a couple years later. Couple of years.

SPEAKER_02:

So she must must have been quite handy by that time.

SPEAKER_04:

Yeah, she was, but she liked kicking people as well.

SPEAKER_02:

Oh really? Yeah.

SPEAKER_04:

Did she go to Thai or no, no, she's doing the high rocks thing now. Oh right, so she's still playing, still staying active. And then my older sister Millie, she got right into it. She started with us and she went on to become two-time national champion.

SPEAKER_02:

Oh, really?

SPEAKER_04:

Wow. Yeah, so yeah, quite a boxing family.

SPEAKER_02:

Right. And that so where where did the idea of going boxing has it been passed down or no, no one in my family's ever boxed before. So it's your sister?

SPEAKER_04:

Yeah, my sister.

SPEAKER_02:

That's cool.

SPEAKER_04:

Yeah, good thing to do.

SPEAKER_02:

Yeah, I suppose back in my day that wouldn't have happened. Probably wouldn't have it were a hard place. You know, going into a boxing gym. Yeah, it's it was scary enough. You know, I remember going in going into Burman's office, smell and shouting and you know what I mean. You just think, is this why where I want to be? And I went, I remember going into Toby's gym first time in when were that ninety five, ninety-six, and you'd punch you'd hit the punch bags, not dusted for the roof and stuff like that. You know, these proper spectrum.

SPEAKER_04:

Proper old school gyms.

SPEAKER_02:

Yeah, proper. And so but for obviously it's getting more welcome, innit? For young ladies who go in.

SPEAKER_04:

Yeah, there's uh loads of young ladies coming up nowadays.

SPEAKER_02:

Yeah. So do you think the three of you will probably keep on with um with the fitness side of things?

SPEAKER_04:

So Millie stops now, she's done a physiotherapy course at uni, lead uni, and uh Brooke's keeping up with her fit fitness. I'm keeping up with it, I'm at Bermantoff's now. Yeah. I've been for a few years.

SPEAKER_02:

Big up to Bermantoff's.

SPEAKER_04:

Big up Bermantoffs, big up Sean Hendry, John Dyer, all the O boys.

SPEAKER_02:

Yeah, I used to work on the doors with Sean. In fact, it was Sean and James, Jimmy Hughes, who when I were really struggling with PTSD, asked me to go work on the door with them. And I think what it was were to stop me going out boozing because I was just out drinking all the time. And then because we're on the door, I won't boozing as much if you know. Just afterwards. Just afterwards. Yeah. But yeah, it's good to have friends like that. And I think a lot of good friends are made in boxing gyms, aren't they? Yeah. Even though you stand there and punch each punch each other in the face. Yeah. But there's always respect after, isn't there? Yeah, well, this is the thing, innit? And like you say, like you sort of mentioned before, that you know, learning going and learning respect. And I suppose with the anger, it's not just the physical side of it, it's like if you get angry, you tend to lose control. And if you lose control in a boxing gym, you get put on your ass. Yeah. So so earlier on I've just wanted to ask you about, you know, this when you mentioned that everyone's struggling with mental health problems or people going through things. Do you I don't want to put you in the spot really? You don't have to mention your names or anything like that. But do you see a generation or an age you are in your friend circles, people that are struggling?

SPEAKER_04:

So I've known people that have struggled with anx anxiety and have um struggled myself as well af just after COVID. My only memory of it would be at Leeds Festival, the one just after COVID. And me, my girlfriend went and I was just panicking with the big crowds. Because we've obviously been locked down for two years or whatever it was. So yeah, after that I was just freaking out, panic attacks, and yeah.

SPEAKER_00:

I think I think what we forget, right? And I forget everything I'm old. I know we always we mentioned COVID a long time, just like you know, it's been regurgitated. Yeah. But it must have had a massive impact well on anyone, especially. Yes. Yeah. Because just when you grow old, you want to go out. That's what we can't do.

SPEAKER_02:

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00:

Well, without going down a rabbit hole and getting all ranty about it.

SPEAKER_02:

Yeah, I mean it's one of them, innit? Where so how old were you when it for in 2020 when it went first?

SPEAKER_04:

2021, I will have been fifteen. Fifteen, yeah. So I think my last year of school.

SPEAKER_02:

Yeah. So 15 years old is when you try to think, well, we're doing it fifteen. Fifteen years old is when I first started going to like away matches, yeah. You know, following leads around the country with like 7,000 other people that really like being disappointed. And do you know what I mean? But you're you're getting them experiences, and it's them times where you're sort of growing into being you're a teenager, but you're also a young adult, aren't you? And then if you're and like you say, if you Yeah, I mean um it's weird because I I mean recently I go to gigs and I'm as old as I am, I can't help it. I love it, I love it in Mospit, do you know what I mean? And and bouncing about and doing all that. But then at the end of the gig, can't do with being fenced in. Yeah. That's probably backed up football, isn't it? I don't want to just go on and be putting giving you questions because we're obviously not diagnosing you or bringing anything up. Would you need to seek help about anything, or do you find that this is leading, if anything is, do you find that the exercise, the boxing, and the hill walking helps you sort of avoid anxiety and stuff?

SPEAKER_04:

Yeah, I think at the minute I'm all good. I don't get a chance to even think about any problems to be honest. I keep myself busy, and yeah, that is like my therapy. So I don't I don't I'm not really interested in going to see a doctor about it. But yeah, I'm aware that it's there and I'm aware that I can speak to people as well. Right. I've got my mum, I can always speak to my mum and my girlfriend. But yeah, that's all I need.

SPEAKER_02:

Yeah, I mean, so if I was to refer to you know five pillars of mental health, I sort of work to which would be so first one would be nutrition.

SPEAKER_00:

Yeah. Yeah.

SPEAKER_02:

Well if you're eating and if you're training, you're gonna be hopefully gonna be eating a bit of a healthier diet. Yeah, but you can treat yourself, can't you? Yeah. So exercise, which you're doing, because it's to help uh community, so you're out doing walks if you walk if you're walking with a group, your family around you. Self-care, which is what you're doing anyway. Exercise, neutral or sleep. Sleep out the gun. Bloody hell, how did I forget that? That's my favourite. What? Yeah, that's my favourite is the sleep one. So you seem to be cornering all them anyway, don't you?

SPEAKER_03:

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02:

Through what you're doing with the sport, sport and the walking. Do you can I ask I'm not gonna ask like your do your friends come out and do it? But people of your age grew. Do you find a lot of them avoid exercise or would they go hill walking with you?

SPEAKER_04:

So I actually made a group of friends through hill walking.

SPEAKER_02:

Right.

SPEAKER_04:

Which is good. So I met them I met one of them at a climbing gym and then you climb as well. Yeah. They're gonna get on five. But yeah, I met one of them at a climbing gym, so I try climb as much as I can. Right. But I've been slacking a bit to be honest. So we go hiking whenever we can, really. Cool. Hiking, wild camping, paddle lording, all of it.

SPEAKER_02:

Yeah, I mean obviously the I mean the podcast podcasts really come about about my and this is not me talking about me, but it's my sort, is about my finding my way back to me. Finding better times through all them things that you've talked about, you know what I mean? With the climbing, you've got focus and you're and you're out and you're out in the outdoors and the nature side of it. So yeah, it's really think as as an older person, we often think that you and I've probably said it earlier on that young younger people just come sat in the bedrooms, bloody TikTok and etc. But yeah, there seems to be this I'm not I'm guilty of it as well, this attitude. Well, I was just sat along drinking Cancer Monster and other iPads and that innit? So it's really it is really uh warming and inspiring for you coming and you know, just without without prompting, because I hadn't set this up, but we knew you were coming in to do the uh to do the chat about the the challenge.

SPEAKER_00:

Right, that's cool. Do you plan on doing any further challenges in the future?

SPEAKER_04:

So I'm in the process of announcing it. Okay. So I might as well say it now. So my next challenge is gonna be 12 marathons of Christmas for Candle Lighters charity.

SPEAKER_02:

Oh mate. Wow, buzzing. Well, I'm I'm doing cand I'm doing a marathon for candlelighters. Yeah, I saw that training for it. I'll be honest, I'm struggling to struggling with knee injuries, but have you ever run an Yeah, I ran the Leeds marathon this year. Yeah.

SPEAKER_04:

To be honest, that was what really got me into all the running. Okay. So I started by but it were actually f meant to be a family relay race, but I ended up running the full marathon. Just trying to find oh yeah.

SPEAKER_02:

There's a lad that runs he ran a lot of Australia. Charlie Sutherland. Never heard of him. Are you on Instagram? I'm on Instagram. I'll give you that afterwards, but yeah, he ran it ran like like down coast of Australia and all sorts of amended minds, but I think that's what he does, just run. So oh that's cool. Twelve marathons, mate.

SPEAKER_03:

Bloody hell.

SPEAKER_04:

Yeah, it's gonna be hard.

SPEAKER_00:

Yeah. You need some of the choosed.

SPEAKER_02:

Yeah. Yeah, she was a little comfortable. The leads marathon, my hamstrings were packed in. Yeah, it's supposed to be pretty hard, isn't it? Leeds marathon. Leeds marathon, yeah.

SPEAKER_00:

How did you go?

SPEAKER_04:

I didn't do too bad. I mean, I wasn't really a runner. I'm not really a runner. Right. So it was like no preparation. I prepared for five miles. So yeah, it was tough.

SPEAKER_02:

That's disgusting. And what time did he not regard us on times? I think four hours, thirty minutes, something. I'm running fifty minutes behind pretty good. So twelve manifolds, how are you gonna prepare for that? There's a lot of mindset there, isn't there?

SPEAKER_03:

Yeah, that's all it is, it's some mind.

SPEAKER_02:

Yeah.

SPEAKER_03:

Take the mind with you and the body will pull up. It was to shame me with his old head on his shoulders.

SPEAKER_02:

But yeah, so so do you find when you're running that you have these voices? Mine says, Charlie, stop now, because your legs are you're too old for this, you don't need to do it. And then another one's going, keep running because you need to build up to a manathon. Do you get that?

SPEAKER_04:

Yeah, I've got one saying, Your legs are fucked, stop. Yeah, sorry, mum. And the other's telling me stop being a bitch.

SPEAKER_02:

All right, yeah, yeah. Well, we are gonna have to keep in the keep in the loop with that. Because it is gonna be, I would imagine, yeah. I mean, you seem pretty determined. Where do you get that from, do you think?

SPEAKER_04:

My mum.

SPEAKER_02:

Yeah.

SPEAKER_04:

Show has told us when we were growing up, you can do anything that you put your mind to. So I've kind of taken that and blown it out of proportion.

SPEAKER_02:

Yeah. But they do reckon the the mind will give up a long time before the body.

SPEAKER_03:

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02:

And that's you know part of these extreme athletes that can control the mind. Oh the minds they can they they can stop that intrusive voice saying stop and you know take a break or what have you.

SPEAKER_04:

That is most of the battle, in my opinion. Trying to convince the mind.

SPEAKER_00:

While you're doing all this training as well, you're the spike.

SPEAKER_04:

Yeah, I'm still working full time. Yeah. I'll be working full time during the twelve days, unless any companies want to sponsor me.

SPEAKER_02:

You've got you're gonna run around Go on, lad. So finish work and then go run a marathon.

SPEAKER_04:

Yeah, and then get up and do it again next day.

SPEAKER_02:

Would you run it before work or after?

SPEAKER_04:

After.

SPEAKER_02:

Yeah.

SPEAKER_04:

I'm not a morning person.

SPEAKER_02:

So I mean you could ask you could ask the audience now for a sponsor, couldn't you? I suppose.

SPEAKER_04:

Yeah, if anyone would like to sponsor me on my one challenge, 12 days, 12 marathons at Christmas, get in touch. I'm on Instagram, Facebook, wherever, I'm sure you'll find me.

SPEAKER_02:

Well we'll what we'll do is we'll list them at the end of the you can name all them at the end of the of the recording. And what made you think pick candlelight is?

SPEAKER_04:

To be honest, because it's a children's charity, and I think Christmas is really about children. So I couldn't imagine having cancer when I were younger. I couldn't imagine what the children and the families are going through at that time. So if that can help one child, one family, then that'll do me.

SPEAKER_02:

So where did that idea come from? You just pop in your head. Yeah, I just get these weird ideas.

SPEAKER_04:

How many pants did you have?

SPEAKER_02:

Not many, I'd tell you. Which which one of the voices told you? Was it the good voice or the bad voice?

SPEAKER_04:

The one stop telling me stop being a bitch.

SPEAKER_02:

Oh really? Yeah, right. Wow. Twelve marathons in twelve days. And you've done the you've done the the Yorkshire's three times in 36 hours. So we've got the you've obviously fit, hopefully, maintain it and getting fit. Because that's that's a lot, is 12 marathons. Yeah, it's a big one. So how important do you think is your physical fitness, physical shape, to that and again I'm not trying to lead on to lead you I don't want to ask you a leading question where you say, yeah, well, yeah, obviously it's it is it is important, but how often do you you know, how much do you think it it helps you keeping physically fit?

SPEAKER_04:

So I think it helps me mentally and physically. Obviously, we've already touched on my struggles a little bit, but last year I gained a bit of weight. I wasn't really doing much. So I put on about 15 kilos, so about 85 kilo at my heaviest, which don't seem like a lot, but when you've always been fit and you're under 70, it's quite a lot of weight. So I'm always down and I'm always drinking quite a lot.

SPEAKER_02:

Alcohol drinking.

SPEAKER_04:

Alcohol drinking, not like alcoholic drinking.

SPEAKER_02:

No, I know, but obviously alcohol puts work pig.

SPEAKER_04:

Yeah. So when whenever I were out with my friends, could be work friends, no normal friends, girlfriend, whatever, I'd always be the most drunk, you know. And I didn't know I don't really know why I did it, but I felt like it stemmed from the social anxiety which we touched on earlier. So I struggled socializing. So drinking was like false form of confidence. So I ended up drinking and then drinking too much when I didn't need to. So it always ended up with me making a tit of myself, to put it simple. But I'd wake up the next day and always feel like I couldn't even remember what I were doing the night before. But I'd always been a twat, and yeah, that drove me to the getting back into fitness. Because obviously I mentioned I had four years off from boxing, so I didn't I didn't really maintain any sort of fitness or look after myself for them four years. So it's a long time to go really. But yeah, I've got back into it this year and I'm feeling good. Yeah. I'm in good shape, my mind's in a good place, got a good set of people around me and new.

SPEAKER_02:

Well that's good, yeah. I mean the uh thing an opinion, I suppose, is you know, as a culture in in this country would sort of turn to alcohol for a lot of a lot of reasons. Um and I've meant I've well not hidden it as I've that you know, John and my PTSD, which it is I'm only recently found out this in the last couple of years, is that PTSD is a form of anxiety. It's an anxiety disorder, you know what I mean? Because you just ruminate in your in your head about what's happened, what's gonna happen. I'll be honest, man, I got I would I was leathered for about six years one thing. Proper leathered, it was just constant, and yeah, you just make a tit of yourself.

SPEAKER_04:

Yeah, you do.

SPEAKER_02:

But it is you know, well done for getting through that because it is difficult. Um and I I mean it's sort of tongue in cheek, but that what made me sort of sort of calm down and start going out again was I'd been training and I fought at 73 kilos. Yeah. I went up to 106. Yeah, so and then when I brushed one morning, I would brush with my teeth, and as I was brushing my teeth, my belly were going opposite direction. And I thought, right, that's it. I need to go out, I need to get back. And what I did well, I went back to what I did when I was a kid when I was well, not a kid, a teenager, which was gonna bring about up mountains and stuff like that, yeah. And that's what spiked it all, really. Yeah, I won't say I'll never I'll never be normal. But do you know what I mean? It's that thing of realising that and getting a grip of it, whereas some people don't.

SPEAKER_04:

Yeah, it's it's all about finding what works for you, in it, I suppose. Exactly.

SPEAKER_02:

Everyone's different, everyone's got their own thing going on. Yeah. But it is I mean, from you know, again, opinion, because I'm not an expert, well, it's only through ex experimental learning and things. But yeah, I I find, you know, for anyone listening to podcasts about mental wellbeing, you know, it's we we sort of recommend uh people recommend stuff and I recommend the outdoors and nature. But it might not be might be s swimming, it might be indoor swimming or something, or even anything, something that's keeps them a focus. Yeah, I think that's a big big one, isn't it? Doing music.

SPEAKER_04:

Doing anything just to set your mind away from whatever.

SPEAKER_02:

Well, you know, I'm not gonna fall out with you because you're a boxer. Okay. So I'm glad I'm sat on the side of this desk. But what the way that I'd sort of phrase it is it's not it's not taking your mind away from something, it's giving your mind a focus that's a positive focus. Yeah, that's right. So I mean it's constructive rather than it's destructive. So for me, a destructive thought would be off to the pub, I can't tap you know, I don't like being sat at home, or this is what I used to be like. Sorry, wife. I do I do like being sat at home. If uh sorry, Kirst. Yeah, I sure but I wouldn't like being by myself because of this anxiety and because of bad thoughts and intrusive thoughts. So what I'd do is go out and get pissed. Yeah. Do you know what I mean? But when I did it, it would well, I mean it were all time, but it'd be constant. But then by having a focus such as he'll walk in and actually lose it. Swimming, whatever, do you know what I mean? That's uh positive, isn't it? Yeah. And I yeah, I found by going out and walk doing some doing my walking, getting really into it, then I wanted to be instead of going out, I'd be going to bed because I wanted to be up next morning, because I had to drive to go somewhere. And then you've got something to look forward to, aren't you? Yeah, and there's no I'll be honest, there's and I have tried this, there's no it's not great going out and doing a 12-hour walk when you steam at night.

SPEAKER_04:

No, I've been there.

SPEAKER_02:

Oh, have you? You've done a lot in you. You've done a lot in your few years, haven't you? Yeah. Wow. So yeah, I mean it's one of them, isn't it? This it it's having that that mindset and presence to focus on something that's a positive rather than and everyone does it. It's we it's it's bonkers the mind, you know what I mean? And I would refer this to uh refer a lot of time about listening to audiobooks, but audiobooks are about the mind and where do where does these where do these thoughts come from? Because a lot of them are destructive, but it's easy to have a destructive mindset than a positive, you know, but constructive used to pick up in a double deck. Yeah, so easy though, isn't it? It's everything. Yeah. And then I get a lot of I get a lot of stick about my nutrition because I just keep away from all stuff like that. Because what I find is it gives me enough, then it gives me a big b big doubt on the side. So I just keep away from it and just keep level. Water and well, yeah, it's got being this, but not not all the time. Not all the time. Balance it's all about balance. Well, exactly. I said it again, doing it again. The point is I have a dobby. Yeah. So if anyone's out there and wants to I mean, let's not underestimate the challenge of York's three peaks three times in 36 hours. Because that is going some. I do know someone that did it seven times in seven days as well. So I like that I'm not going back. No. But if you want to put that out, and if anyone's out there that wants to um send you some money, it's the money for Andy's Man Club, isn't it? So it's a great cause. So I suppose it fits in because we are recording this at Suicide Awareness Day today.

SPEAKER_00:

I did know that. Yeah, that's right. Yeah. Which is a good thing.

SPEAKER_02:

Well, again, it's yeah, it's publicity, innit? It's publicity and it is becoming normalised. Do you have that on do you have that link?

SPEAKER_04:

Yeah, I do. I don't know which part you read out, to be honest with you.

SPEAKER_02:

Right. What we'll do is we'll put that in the show notes and we'll put if you want you're in do you want to get into it? Don't go into your notes and stuff.

SPEAKER_04:

Yeah, we can do. You can find me on Instagram at paylet.backhouse or paylet.outside for mountains and the outside.

SPEAKER_02:

And then the the other thing would be sponsored for this 12 in 12. Yeah. Big is that, in it?

SPEAKER_04:

Yeah, it is big. Yeah.

SPEAKER_02:

When are you gonna start prepping for that? You're you're not you're just gonna get up and running, aren't you?

SPEAKER_04:

No, I'm focusing on boxing for a bit now, so I'll probably start my prep for that.

SPEAKER_03:

At Bermantoffs?

SPEAKER_04:

Yeah, at Bermantoffs.

SPEAKER_03:

New gym, yeah. Whereabouts is that now?

SPEAKER_04:

It's just behind the old one, so we haven't moved back. Oh

SPEAKER_03:

Really? Yeah. What is that near the Heron Foods?

SPEAKER_04:

No, it's the other side, you know, where the Burton's factory. Okay, yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_02:

Yeah, so it's just in that little bit there. We were opposite that Heron Foods, it were grim. Yeah. You needed to you need to done it do a bit of boxing when you came out of there just to get back to your CS.

SPEAKER_00:

I think it's very impressive what you do because when I was your age, I went out drinking and clubbing. Yeah. Impressive. You're doing a really good thing.

SPEAKER_02:

Yes. Without a doubt. Without a doubt, mate. I mean I thought the bloody York's three peaks in 36 hours were impressive. I wonder what I could do if I had proper knees. I mean struggling to get ready for one marathon. On that note, thank you for coming in, Burley. Thank you for giving us the time. When you could have been boxing or out training.

SPEAKER_03:

I've already been. Hey? I've already been running. Today. Cool. Right. Thanks for coming in. Oh, thank you for having me.

SPEAKER_01:

And if you'd like to support us and help us keep the podcast going, then you can go to buy us a coffee or you can click that on our website, whitefoxtalking.com, and look for the little cup. Thank you.

Contributor

Mark Charlie Valentine

Host
Contributor

Sebastian Budniak

Co-host