A TEACHER is taking part in a sporting challenge to help him overcome the grief of losing his brother to suicide.

Design and technology teacher Adam Graham’s brother Damian took his own life in January 2018. He was found dead in a room at the Premier Inn in Blackburn.

The tragedy hit Adam hard and he saw an advertisement on Facebook for a challenge that helps people cope with major obstacles.

He applied for the Everyday Battler team and was one of just nine selected, with 1,200 applying for the campaign.

They are currently undergoing physical and mental well-being training, with the aim of overcoming obstacles using the power of sport.

They will finish with a 10k at the Olympic Park in London on September 21.

Adam, of Blackburn, said: “My brother Damian had a turbulent childhood and in January 2018 took his own life.

“It was a massive shock, he had issues but he was incredibly bright.

“He had been at UCLAN studying to be an English teacher and his assignments were that good they gave him a posthumous degree.

“He was a big character, he did well in his GCSEs and A-Levels and then was in a band playing the guitar for a few years. He was incredibly gifted. Obviously it has hit me hard and I saw the Everyday Battler advertised on Facebook and I applied, hoping it will help me.

“We are getting help from Olympic gold medallist diver Chris Mears, who nearly died when he was a teenager from a ruptured spleen but carried on to fulfil his dreams, and Olympic pentathlete Greg Whyte, a physical activity expert, who is helping with the mental side. It’s about learning to live with what’s happened and moving on from the negativity surrounding it and making something positive out of it.”

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Adam, who teaches in Penwortham, added: “I became a teacher because of Damian, he told me to do my PGCE and I feel like I am doing what he wanted to do. Damian was a runner, he was athletic and I have never run before and the training is hard but it’s something I want to carry on with afterwards. I want something good to come out of what happened.

“Damian never talked about it, he kept his issues inside and the mind makes things worse.

He has also started up a community Facebook group called Rise and Shine Blackburn to support others.