A cyclist riding around Britain to raise money for mental health charities after her father took his own life nearly gave up in the first few weeks.

Katy Roberts, 31, from Swanpool, Falmouth struggled after setting off from John O’Groats on June 1 including having to endure almost constant rain in Scotland for the first month.

Katy says she has met some wonderful people on her ride around the UKKaty says she has met some wonderful people on her ride around the UK (Image: @tandemagainstsuicide)

And one point she said she was seriously thinking of giving up but then things started to improve.

“It’s been a total, total mix,” she told the Packet. “The first month I was very close to quitting my bike ride. I got really scared being on my own and I didn’t enjoy a lot of it and I got ill and was on antibiotics. I wasn’t a happy bunny, but then I met all these amazing people.”

Katy is cycling around the UK coast, roughly 3,500 miles to raise money and awareness of mental health. She gave up her job to do it.

She lost her "lovely" dad Tim to suicide when she was 17 and is wanting to open the conversation around mental health and finding ways of helping others who have been through similar experiences.

Speaking to the Packet from Whitstable she said: “I’ve had a lots of people joining me on my ride wanting to support me.”

“First part of my trip had so many people join me and it instigates talks about mental health. It’s been a total mix, I had one sixty year old farmer who talked to me about his son. A mother in a café asked me what I was doing it for it turned out she actually lost her daughter to suicide.”

Despite the difficulties Katy said she would absolutely do it again despite the hard start.

“I absolutely would,” she said. “I cannot put it into words, it’s been amazing, the people I have met and who have joined me on my ride have been incredible., it’s been absolutely amazing.“

Katy is nearly at her target of £10,000 but wants to give it a final push.

“It’s just so important that we talk about our mental health,” she said. “It’s such a difficult topic and hard for people to talk about.”

Katy’s ride is raising money for mental health charities MIND Cornwall, Sport in Mind and PAPYRUS ‘Prevention of Young Suicide’, dedicated to the prevention of suicide and the promotion of positive mental health and emotional wellbeing in young people.

You can donate by going to her website saddletosea.co.uk

She is expecting to arrive back in Falmouth on August 22 before heading to Land’s End for the final part of her journey.