Man on a mission! Owen is keen to raise awareness and funds for eating disorder charity

Owen pictured with his sister Hannah, mum Lisa and dad Mark.

Owen Hornsby 24,is rasing money for Beat - an eating disorder charity - in honour of his late mum Lisa who passed away last March after her battle with Anorexia.

Owen said: “I want to raise more awareness that anorexia is a mental illness that could be helped with the right support.

“Anorexia might not visibly affect people but it can affect others in different ways.”

Owen, who describes himself as an ‘avid gym lover’ has embarked on a 77 day fitness challenge in memory of his mum.

He explained: “I did the GymShark 66 day challenge last year but I didn’t raise money for a particular cause.

“This year I have a special reason to do it.

“It is meant to be a challenge to get yourself into a new routine and get rid of bad habits.”

Owen says that he has adapted well to home workouts and goes for a run every other day.

He said: “In terms of fitness, I used to focus on body building but now I’ve shifted to a more functional fitness which is more beneficial to the whole body.

“Gyms being shut and the nation being in lockdown has affected my challenge.

“Exercise distracts people from the issue in hand but it also gives them time to take that negative energy and use it in a positive way.

“I’ve been blown away by the support I have received I want to say a massive thank you to everyone who has followed my journey.

“I’m posting updates on my Instagram (@hornsbyowen) every day.”

“Everyone suffers set backs in life but it is all about how you deal with them and how you use them as a source of fuel going forward.”

He added: “We started off with a £300 fundraising target - I had about 350 followers on Instagram so I set it at a similar amount.

“But within the first 12 hours the amount raised went to £400.

“We increased the target to £500 and that was reached too.

“After £500, I put the target to £1,000 and we are almost there!”

To make a donation, click here

About Beat

Founded in 1989 as the Eating Disorders Association, Beat’s mission is to end the pain and suffering caused by eating disorders.

Around 1.25 million people in the UK suffer from an eating disorder.

The disorders include bulimia, binge eating disorder, avoidant/restrictive food intake disorder (ARFID), other specified feeding or eating disorder (OSFED), and anorexia, which tragically has the highest mortality rate of any mental illness, though all eating disorders can be deadly.

To find out more about Beat and the support they offer visit www.beateatingdisorders.org.uk/

There is also a Beat Adult Helpline (0808 801 0677) and a Beat Youthline for those under the age of 18 (0808 801 0711).