A personal trainer who battled his own personal demons is embarking on a mental health fundraising mission in memory of a “jolly” close friend he lost last week.
Brad Thornton, 24, has been friends with James Walker, 23, since their school days for 12-13 years. He was left shocked by the news that James recently took his own life, and wants to encourage others to speak out if they need help.
He described James as a “big, friendly, jolly giant” and he’ll always remember him in the gym “with a big smile on his face, with 50kg dumbbells in each hand, repping them above his head just for fun”.
Brad told The Lincolnite how he also battled with his own personal demons, before becoming a personal trainer at Anytime Fitness in Lincoln around a year ago. He said his work helped him turn a corner.
He said: “I thought this would be a huge challenge and I needed to draw attention to mental health.
“I’ve been struggling for years and going in and out of doctors, and getting blood tests. People thought in that time that I was a big jolly giant, just like they did Jim, but I couldn’t have been more depressed. I had so much anxiety, so I know exactly what it’s like to be there.”
Brad said the job has changed his life and he is currently studying life coaching and hypnotherapy through a tutor called Rob Marklew in Lincoln.
Through the help of Rob, and another life coach called Mark Marsland, Brad said he went from “one of the quietest introverted people” to “full on out there, happy, confident and positive”.
Charity Challenge
Brad will climb Scafell Pike with a rowing machine on his shoulders before rowing 10,000 metres at the top in James’ memory.
On November 30, Brad will climb England’s highest mountain Scafell Pike with a rowing machine on his shoulders in James’ memory, and friends have already expressed an interest in joining him on the challenge.
Once he reaches the top, he then plans to row 10,000 metres before shouting “louder than anyone else from the top of the mountain that we need to start opening up”.
Brad is now fully focused on the challenge ahead and in the future he wants to speak publicly about life coaching to inspire others.
He added: “I wanted something to push myself with, mind over matter. You’ve really got to get your head in it and you can push through.
“It’s about pushing your mind mentally to get there and achieve it. At times I will feel beaten up, fatigued, and down but know with my head and people around me I can push through and get to the top.
“I feel strongly about it and want to let people know it’s okay to talk and that people will be happy to listen. Always check the person on your left and right and it is okay to feel this way and to reach out when you need help. It’s so easy to change someone’s day with such little things.”
Brad has already raised over £2,450 towards his £50,000 target for the mental health charity Mind.
James in a huddle with his teammates during his time at Lincoln Rugby Club.
James was a popular man both on and off the pitch at Lincoln and Scunthorpe Rugby Club.
Lincoln held a minute’s silence in memory of their former player, who played for the club from junior up to senior first team level, before the home match against North Hykeham on Saturday, November 2.
He also impressed at his new club Scunthorpe in National Two (North) this season and he left a lasting impression on both clubs.
Jack Kinsey, who played with James for around five years at Lincoln, said: “James, Jimmy, Big Jim.. you were always one of the loudest in the changing room, it didn’t matter what you were talking about that day, you’d have us all in stitches.
“On the pitch your presence was felt hugely, you were incredibly talented and one of the players people always wanted on their side. You were just a great all round guy and you’ll be hugely missed by everyone who knew you.
“There will be a Jimmy shaped void in the changing room and at the bar but you will always be remembered! It was a pleasure to call you a friend and a team mate. From Jack Kinsey and all the boys at Lincoln Rugby Club.”
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A 38-year-old man from a North Lincolnshire village charged with murder will face an eight-day trial later this year.
Emergency services were called at 4.23am on Saturday, July 2 to reports that a man was seriously injured on South Parade in central Doncaster.
The 28-year-old victim was taken to hospital but was sadly pronounced dead a short time later.
A post-mortem examination found that he died of injuries to his head, chest and abdomen.
Formal identification of the victim is yet to take place, South Yorkshire Police said earlier this week.
Steven Ling, 38, of Park Drain, Westwoodside in North Lincolnshire, has been charged with murder and was remanded in custody to appear at Doncaster Magistrates Court on Monday, July 4.
Ling later appeared at Sheffield Crown Court on Tuesday, July 5 for a plea and trial preparation hearing.
No pleas were entered during the hearing, but an eight-day trial was set for November 28, 2022. Ling has now been remanded into custody until the next hearing.
The Lincolnite went on a ride-along with a Lincolnshire Police officer from the force’s Roads Policing Unit (RPU), which aims to disrupt criminals’ use of the roads and reduce the number of serious and fatal accidents.
The team will support the county response including local policing, neighbourhood policing and criminal investigation too.
Operations first began in Grantham in January this year and started in Louth earlier this week with a sergeant and nine PCs based in both locations.
The Lincolnite went out on a ride-along with PC Rich Precious from Lincolnshire Police’s Roads Policing Unit. | Photo: Steve Smailes for The Lincolnite
PC Rich Precious has been a police officer for 22 years after joining the force in 2000 and he recently rejoined the Roads Policing Unit, working out of Louth.
PC Precious, who also previously worked as a family liaison officer for road deaths for 16 years, took The Lincolnite out in his police car to the A1 up to Colsteworth and then back to Grantham. He described that particular area as “one of the main arterial routes that goes through Lincolnshire”.
PC Rich Precious driving down the A1 up to Colsterworth. | Photo: Steve Smailes for The Lincolnite
Speaking about the new Roads Policing Unit, he said: “It’s intelligence led policing, it’s targeted policing in areas that have been underrepresented in terms of police presence, on the roads certainly, over a number of years.
“We’re hoping that the development of this unit will help address that balance, and look towards using the ANPR system to prevent criminals’ use of the road, and to identify key areas or routes where there’s a high percentage of people killed or seriously injured on the road, what we commonly refer to as KSI.
PC Precious is helping to keep the roads safer in Lincolnshire. | Photo: Steve Smailes for The Lincolnite
When asked if he thinks the new team will help reduce the number of serious and fatal accidents in the county, he added: “That’s what the the unit designed for. Sadly, in Lincolnshire our road network does seem to incur a number of those KSI accidents year on year, and we need to reduce that.
“I’ve worked additionally in my roles as a family liaison officer on road death for 16 years, so I’ve seen first hand the impact that road death has on families and victims families.
“I know it’s important that we try and reduce those because, it’s very sad to see how a fatal road traffic collision can affect a family and the victims of that family.”
Marc Gee, Inspector for Lincolnshire Police’s Roads Policing Unit. | Photo: Steve Smailes for The Lincolnite
Marc Gee, Inspector for the Roads Policing Unit, told The Lincolnite: “Every day there will be officers on duty from both teams and they’ll cover the whole county or the county’s roads.
“Eventually, we’ll have nine police cars and we’ve got six motorbikes. We’ll be utilising them with as many officers as we can every day basically to make our roads safer and enforce against the criminals who feel like it’s okay to come into the county and use our road for criminal purposes.”
Lincolnshire’s Police and Crime Commissioner Marc Jones at the launch of the force’s Roads Policing Unit. | Photo: Steve Smailes for The Lincolnite
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