Skip to content

Swim, run and cycle to challenge farmers' stoicism

BBC Brother and sister Hugh and Alex Addison are standing in a river with a concrete bridge behind them, wearing swimming costumes and smiling broadly. He has a pink swimming cap and she has a black one. Both have swimming goggles resting on the top of their heads.BBC
Alex Addison was initially sceptical of her brother Hugh's plan

A brother and sister from a farming family that lost loved ones to suicide say there is "a lot of work to be done" to address depression in the industry and stop stoicism preventing farmers asking for help.

Hugh Addison and his younger sister Alex Addison plan to cycle, run and swim the 340 miles (550km) from the west coast of Ireland to Tynemouth on the north-east of England coast in just four days.

Mr Addison, originally from Kings Meaburn near Penrith, Cumbria, said the route "ties together our family story" because their mother and her brother were born in Ireland.

The 34-year-old said their uncle took his own life when they were young and "the shadow of that" affected their childhood.

Farming still had "one of the highest suicide rates out of any profession", Mr Addison said.

"Some of the factors that we have to deal with day to day, including climate change, political policy, economics of farming itself, all make it a very challenging place to be," he said.

"Farming does have this stoicism about 'you've just got to knuckle down and get through this' which is amazing from a resilience point of view, less good when you actually want to talk to somebody about things or express your feelings in a healthy way."

The Royal Agricultural Benevolent Institution (RABI), which provides mental health support services for farmers who may be struggling with anxiety or depression, said the most recent available survey data suggested more than a third of the farming community had "mental wellbeing scores that are sufficiently low to cause concern".

Its report from 2021 also suggested nearly half experienced anxiety.

  • If you have been affected by any issues raised in this report, help and advice is available on the BBC Action Line
Siblings Alex and Hugh Addison, arm in arm and smiling. They're wearing dark blue t-shirts with the RABI charity logo and the words The Borderline Challenge. He is clean shaved and is wearing a baseball hat. She has shoulder-length blonde hair. Behind them are trees, bushes and grass.
The siblings say farmers often do not talk about the mental health difficulties they face

The siblings want to raise money and awareness with what they are calling their Borderline Challenge, which is due to start with a 140-mile (225km) bike ride from Sligo to Donaghadee in September.

With the help of four friends they intend to relay-swim the 22-mile (35km) stretch of the Irish sea to Port Patrick, returning to bikes to reach Carlisle.

They will run the final 70-mile (115km) stretch along Hadrian's Wall to the North East coast.

Mr Addison, a medical engineer, said the particular route was important.

"Through Northern Ireland, the south of Scotland and the north of England, it ties together our family story," he said.

"We've had some incidences that have been very close to home.

"We unfortunately lost our uncle to suicide when we were much younger and the shadow of that has really informed our childhood."

Rossographer/Geograph Donaghadee Harbour with a white lighthouse at the end of one half of the harbour walls. In front is an orange and navy blue lifeboat. The harbour waters are calm and dark blue. Beyond the harbour walls is the sea and an expanse of low stratus clouds. It's feels like a sunny evening.Rossographer/Geograph
The siblings and friends will start their Irish sea swim at Donaghadee on the east coast of Northern Ireland...

Miss Addison, a 29-year-old marketing executive, said she had been sceptical.

"My initial thought was 'he's an idiot'," she said.

"Second thought was 'this sounds amazing, I definitely want to do it'.

"To be able to do a really once-in-a-lifetime experience across places which mean so much to myself and family was an incredible opportunity."

Miss Addison is hoping the challenge will spark an important conversation in the farming community.

"Encouraging people that you can show vulnerability and then also reach out and ask for help is equally admirable as just keeping calm and carrying on," she said.

PA Media Tynemouth's Longsands beach on a sunny day. It has a number of people on the sand and in the water - but not hoardes. The waves are making white breakers near the shore and the skyline of Cullercoats is in the background.PA Media
...and finish in Tynemouth on the North East coast

Mr Addison said he would consider the challenge a success if he could change "just a little bit" anyone's idea they had to "suffer in silence".

"The passing of my uncle has really been one of the motivators for us doing this challenge," he said.

"It's been a taboo subject that we really haven't spoken about a lot as a family and I think that has its own influence."

Follow BBC Cumbria on X, Facebook, Nextdoor and Instagram.

More on this topic