My Story
I’m Shawn Leek, also known as The Mental Health Runner. My journey from professional golfer to mental health advocate has been quite a story. It’s one that has shaped me in ways I never expected, and I’d like to share it with you.
Growing up, sports were always my passion and a way for me to escape, but I struggled academically, which made me feel like I wasn’t “good enough.” That feeling of self-doubt became a recurring theme throughout my sporting career and my life as a whole.
Professional golfer
When I left school, I knew what I wanted to do and my life was already mapped out for me to become a Golf Professional.
As a junior golfer, I was proud to captain my county team for two years. At 18, I stepped into professional golf, training to become a PGA Teaching Professional while also competing. I got to travel, play in tournaments, and coach—an incredible experience.
But that feeling of not being good enough kept showing up. I struggled in silence and found the training tougher than most. Still, I pushed through, completed the four-year program, and achieved my goal of becoming a PGA Professional and later a Level 3 Coach.
The Running Bug
After a while of doing the same thing and realizing I wasn’t going to make a living playing golf, I decided it was time for a change. I stepped away from the sport and tried out a few different jobs—starting with a couple of years as a sales agent. Then I made a pretty big shift and began working as a pipe fitter in engineering, which I stuck with for several years.
When I left golf, I really felt the need to fill that gap sport had left in my life. That’s when I discovered running. In 2005, I jumped right in with my very first race—a full marathon—and from there, I was hooked. Over the next 10 years, I ran more races than I can count, including 27 marathons, ultra marathons, multi-day events, 24-hour runs, and even 7 marathons in 7 days across 7 different counties. Along the way, I managed to raise over £11,500 for my local hospice, which made the journey even more meaningful.
Over my years of running, I raised over £20,000 for charities, but a year after my seven marathons in seven days, I decided that I couldn’t live any more. I tried to take my life on three separate occasions and I didn’t think I could ever come back from this incredibly dark place. This was back in 2016/17 and felt like the worst time in my life, but looking back now, I see it as something that has made me into the person that I am today.
Since opening up about my struggles and sharing my story I have been able to inspire so many people to reach out and get help. I have also supported people directly and helped them rebuild their life.
My life has changed so dramatically because now I work on a regular basis in my local community running walking groups, running groups and community events. I have also been recognised for my work in the community and am now a Compassionate Community Champion as well as a Colchester Legend and Heart Radio Inspirational Award Winner, but most of all I’m now sharing my knowledge and offering a way forward to help others live their best lives.
