Hope Virgo suffered with anorexia for over 4 years, before being admitted to a Mental Health Hospital in 2007. She lived in the hospital for a year, fighting one of the hardest battles of her life. Since being discharged, she has fought to stay well.
Hope has now written about her journey with anorexia, in her book, Stand Tall Little Girl. Hope uses her experiences of mental health illness to champion the rights of others, inspire them to get well, and help break the stigma of mental illness.
Hope lives and works in London. In her spare time, she volunteers for refugee charities, and charities that support young and abandoned children. She is a dedicated runner, and has a keen interest in maintaining good mental health through healthy eating and exercise.
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Show notes
Growing up in Bristol
Starting to run
Developing anorexia
Having something else to think about
Being admitted to a mental health hospital at 17
Learning to talk about her feeling
Deciding to write about her story
Learning to open up and being in a place to share her story.
Taking with her mum while out running
Her relationship with her mum, why it’s had its ups and downs
Travelling around South East Asia with her boyfriend
Why she had to manage her anorexia every day
Her ‘friend’ - the voice of anorexia
How her running developed from the cross country team at school, to running half marathons
Doing her first marathon and over training
3.26 marathon…
Making sure she has rest days
Trying to not get obsessed with weight training
The Brighton Marathon
What she thinks about while running
Negative thoughts in her head while running
Where her drive comes from
Working with schools talking about mental health
Talking about body image and mental health
What a typical week looks like
Life after a marathon
Cycling across Taiwan & staying with local people
What she learnt from the experience
Being an ambassador for Sure Mind Foundation
Her book - Stand Tall Little Girl
Learn more about Hope
Website: http://www.hopevirgo.com
Twitter: @HopeVirgo
Facebook: @HopeVirgo
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