VIDEO: Rotherham firefighter and TV star Mark Peart discusses mental health and wellbeing as part of awareness week

A HIGH street retailer has appointed Rotherham firefighter and reality TV star Mark Peart as its new ambassador and frontman of its new mental health campaign.

Mark (31) is the face of Blacks Outdoors’ new campaign — Outdoors, In Mind — which encourages people to openly discuss issues they are facing and encourages outdoor experts to discuss what wellness means to them.

Mark, who is based at Dearne station, was widely praised for speaking openly about how mental health had affected his life when he starred in Channel 4 show SAS: Who Dares Wins — which he went on to win.

Mark discovered his wife Chelsey’s body at their Brampton Bierlow home in April, 2018, after she took her own life following mental health problems.

As part of this week’s Mental Health Awareness Week, Mark and his fellow SAS contestant and personal trainer, Esmee Gummer, discussed their mental health experiences in a new video (below).

Essex-based Esmee was left paralysed by ‘simple’ surgery at the age of 18 but learned to walk again.

Since the pair starred in the show, they have gone on the climb Mount Kilimanjaro — the highest mountain in Africa.

A Blacks spokesperson said: “Millions upon millions of people suffer from mental health problems across the globe. As practised by SAS stars Esmee and Mark, our hope is simply to encourage people to reach for the outdoors as a way of trying to clear their mind and focus on improving their mental and physical health.

“The Outdoors, In Mind campaign will feature advice and ideas that aim to encourage people to clear their minds and spend as much of their day as possible outside. From walking the dog in the morning whilst listening to your favourite podcast, to spending your lunch break sat on a bench in the car park, the simplest change to your routine can make a massive difference.”

Blacks will be continuing to share ideas and advice online about how making small changes to your routine can promote a better mental health in the long run.