A SCHIZOPHRENIC diagnosed as bipolar and autistic is battling back against mental illness to run the Manchester Marathon.

Shaun Vos, 34, from Westcliff, was diagnosed in 2012 but wants to prove there are no limits for people with mental health issues, by running and staying active.

He said: “Running has been integral to my recovery. In 2015 I attempted to take my own life and was hospitalised where I had electro-convulsive therapy to treat my depression.

“My mental health had got worse and the medication I was on had made me put on weight. At 17-and-a-half stone, my mum told me I needed to lose weight so I started running.

“My mood picked up. I was running not only for my weight, but for my mental and physical wellbeing. When my mum was diagnosed with cancer, it gave me that final push to carry on doing it. Before she died she told me she’d finally got her son back.”

Despite also facing hallucinations Shaun has continued to battle his demons, having taken on ten kilometre runs and marathons. In just five months Shaun hit a new weight of 12 stone.

He continued: “Since running, I’ve got more energy, motivation, I sleep better and I feel ready to take on the day.

“I learnt to push past my mind tricks when they’d tell me I can’t do it and now I prove them wrong.

“To remind myself, I keep my medals by the door so I don’t forget what I’ve achieved.”

Keen to show the potential mentally ill people have, Shaun will be running the Manchester Marathon on April 7, to raise funds for his Southend mental illness peer support group, which is run in partnership with the charity Rethink Mental Illness.

After 26 weeks of training, he said: “Training has both broke me and made me.

“Despite having a relapse on my way through, I feel more confident than ever. I wanted to challenge myself and show others with mental illness that despite a diagnosis, there’s no limit to where we can go.”

The group meet on the second Wednesday of each month and will be getting active this Spring through a variety of sports days.