On June 12th our fantastic supporter Iraj is setting off on his challenge to cycle from Oxford to Tehran!
This cycling challenge is around 5500 kilometres (3500 miles) and should take 2 to 3 months to complete. Iraj’s route will pass through France, Belgium, Holland, Germany, Austria, Hungry, Serbia, Bulgaria, Turkey and finally Iran.
Iraj has already managed to raise an incredible £3,927 for Oxfordshire Mind and has set a target to raise £10,000!
Read Iraj’s story below:
On 11th of March 2018 I went through an episode of hallucination and unconsciousness, I was taken by ambulance to the neurology department of John Radcliffe Hospital. Something unknown was going wrong inside my brain and my mind! To prevent further damage to my brain, I was put into an induced coma. No one knew if I would wake up
again. I was held between life and death with no recollection of what was happening around me.Miraculously, on 21 of March, the first day of spring and Iranian New Year, I woke up and the first thing I asked my doctor was if I could go for my dream cycling to Iran by the end of August (2018)! And the answer was: “Are you mad? No way, just have a rest and recover”.
Cycling has helped me with my mental health journey. When I ride, I feel as free as a bird and my mind is calmer and more focused.
I would like to invite anyone who is able, to join me on this journey by making donations to [Oxfordshire] Mind; a great charity close to my heart doing incredible work to raise awareness and improve services for mental health.
Mental health is becoming even more important than physical health because it is often hidden or less obvious than an afflicting physical issue. It is affecting more people from different age groups and all walks of life, especially during this pandemic. Knowing how our mind could affect our body, we might need to re-phrase “healthy body, healthy mind” to “healthy mind, healthy body”
Iraj Maghounaki
Support Iraj:
If you’d like to donate to Iraj’s fundraising and help him reach his target, you can do so here.
A big thank you to Iraj on his cycle from Oxford to Tehran. We can’t wait to hear how you get on!
