A SOLDIER who won a reality TV show has walked from Oxford to Buckingham Palace with a medicine ball cuffed to her wrist to raise money for two charities.
Corporal Natalya Platonova, winner of Channel 4’s ‘The Circle’ Series 3 and Worthy Down local, walked 114 miles carrying the 3kg medicine ball in aid of Combat Stress and ABF The Soldiers’ Charity.
The medicine ball was intended to be symbolic of the ‘burden of mental health’, and Natalya was inspired to carry it by her own mental health struggles.
The incredible feat took her six days, with her completing it on Saturday, May 14, and has seen her raise more than £10,000.
She said: “I just feel like it’s the visual representation and weight of mental illness. The people that normally do it, you have the medicine ball cuffed to your wrist for a week and you can do anything with it.
"You can sit in your room, you can go to the supermarket, a girl did a 24-hour running challenge. I just thought: 'this is me stepping out of my own comfort zone'. I’m quite a socially anxious person, so to walk with a big red flag and a medicine ball was kind of me exposing myself and starting some healthy conversations around mental illness."
Natalya has previously discussed the challenges of talking about mental health as an Army soldier.
She said: “To me, because in my own head, women are seen as ‘weaker’, physically, having mental health problems would add another layer to that.
"So it’s almost like we have to work a little bit harder to keep up with our male counterparts. To add the layer of mental illness to it, almost is like an extra challenge, as well as a physical challenge."
Natalya has previously been in the spotlight, as she won Channel 4 reality show The Circle, however she said the experience was not all good.
She said: “That’s probably what started my downward spiral. I struggled with people reaching out to me.
READ MORE: Former MP Mark Oaten says Westminster culture so bad 'MPs snort cocaine from their desks'
"I had a lot of lovely messages, but I had to step away from it eventually.
"I spent the first year reaching out and being so open and talking about mental health to the point where my cup was empty.
"I didn’t know how to fill my own cup."
Natalya said she picked the two charities because of the good work they do to support people in the armed forces and veterans.
SEE ALSO: More than 150 people ditch their creature comforts for Winchester's Big Sleep Out
She said: “In the Army, we climb mountains, we do a lot of peak challenges and treks, and I just think I wanted to do something a little bit more uncomfortable."
To donate go to events.soldierscharity.org/fundraisers/natalyaplatonova.
Message from the editor Kimberley Barber
Thank you for reading this story. We really appreciate your support.
Please help us to continue bringing you all the trusted news from your area by sharing this story or by following our Facebook page.
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here