Sir Chris Hoy walks a Murrayfield mile for SAMH

He joined health professionals, carers and people with experience of mental health to walk in pairs at Murrayfield Stadium.

The six-time gold medallist said: “It’s great to be at Murrayfield joining over 200 people to raise awareness of mental health and the importance of talking.

“Talking is one of the first steps to improving mental health. We simply can’t measure the importance of a conversation, supporting someone to recover and move forward with their life.”

Billy Watson, chief executive of SAMH said: “We need to change the culture around mental health so people feel confident enough to talk, without the fear that they will be stigmatised and discriminated against.

“Walk a Mile shows that mental health can be part of everyday conversation and we are delighted to have Sir Chris Hoy join us to lead this walk and start this vital discussion.”

Chris McCullough Young, a former social worker and mental health activist, started the Walk a Mile initiative after walking around the UK speaking to people about his mental health and trying to tackle stigma “one conversation at a time”. He said: “The great thing about Walk a Mile is that everyone is on a level playing field. There are no labels, and everyone taking part gets the chance to see others as they really are.”