“With the funds raised for student mental health, we hope to reach as many people as possible – because if you help even one person, you’re already changing the world.”

When Aariz Ahmed, a fourth-year medical student at Queen’s University, first arrived in Belfast from Kuwait, the transition into university life came with its own challenges. Alongside the demands of medical school, personal pressures outside university also had an impact on his wellbeing.

But during his second year, whilst studying a module on psychosis, things began to shift and meeting patients experiencing mental health issues gave him a completely new perspective.

He says: “It gave me a new insight – a lens into what goes on in other people’s lives. Once you know more, you’re able to understand what other people feel like.”

Aariz’s interest in psychiatry led him to join the QUB Mind Matters Society which helped him realise he wasn’t alone. The society runs a range of programmes designed to support medical students and, through its initiative, Medics for Medics, provides a safe space to talk openly about the realities of training - from difficult placements to the emotional pressures that can take a toll on mental health.

He explains: “I wanted to do something for people who felt the same way as I felt.”

When the society got the chance to form a team for the 180 marathon to raise funds for mental health initiatives at Queen’s, they jumped at the chance.

Aariz says: “I’m running this relay to raise awareness and to help others realise they’re not alone. Students can face all kinds of personal challenges – financial, social – and these can have a real impact on your mental health and wellbeing."