Mick takes on London Marathon for lifesaving Salvation Army

Dublin-born Mick is running his first London Marathon to raise funds for The Salvation Army who supported him when he was living on the streets of Dublin and brought him back from the brink of suicide.

The 42-year-old trainee social worker, who suffers from lung disease, now wants to give back to the church and charity he credits with transforming his life by completing his first marathon. 

From being sexually abused as a teenager and thrown out of his family home, Mick was helped by The Salvation Army in Ireland and later in London where he would work as a project worker at one of the church and charity’s ‘lifehouses’ for people who are homeless. 

The person who Mick built the strongest connection with at The Salvation Army, was Major Howard Russell, who Mick still sees to this day. Mick says: “I have known him for 25 years and the relationship I have with him has been the most consistent in my life. He has always been there.”

He says: “Howard got me a job as a project worker at The Salvation Army’s Booth House, Whitechapel, London.” However, the path was not easy for Mick who says: “I tried to build a life, but I struggled with regular breakdowns and a number of suicide attempts. One time I tried to hang myself in a London park and was taken to Charing Cross hospital. I was afraid to talk about my feelings and emotions. I was always in an out of psychiatric facilities, but Howard was always there.”

Mick also climbed onto a bridge in London with the intention of ending his life. When the police called Howard, Mick says: “He talked to me and got me down from the bridge. He is someone who has always cared about me.”

Despite never having taken part in a marathon before and the huge challenge that this presented to Mick, who has numerous health issues, he says: “I saw that The Salvation Army was looking for fundraisers and wanted to run the Marathon on their behalf because of what they did for me. Without them I would be another stat; I would be someone dead in a hostel. I wouldn’t be where I am, and I want to give back.”

He added: “Despite the lung disease, running has actually been great for my lungs and after everything that has happened, nothing can stop me achieving my goals.”

Mick’s long-time friend, Howard Russell, who is now The Salvation Army’s Divisional Commander for the East of England said: " I feel it is a privilege that Mick would trust me enough to walk alongside him. His strength and resilience are a testament to his own spirit and God's grace. Mick's story is his own, a powerful narrative of recovery. My role has been to offer enduring friendship on that journey, through its peaks and valleys, and to never give up on the potential we see in others."

The Salvation Army is one of the UK’s largest providers of homelessness services. 

Our homelessness support ranges from rough sleeper drop-in facilities at some of our churches to long-term temporary accommodation at our hostels, called Lifehouses, which also provide specialist help with mental health and addiction. 

If you’d like to help Mick raise funds for The Salvation Army, visit: https://justgiving.com/page/mickfinnegan