JOSH Quigley appeared to have the world at his feet. He was a rising star among the Scottish business community and had won awards for the success of his digital marketing agency SharkDog.
Yet, behind-the-scenes, the 23-year-old entrepreneur from Livingston, West Lothian, was silently battling depression.
Matters came to a head in May this year when Mr Quigley attempted suicide by deliberately crashing his car at 80mph into a concrete barrier at the westbound junction of the M8 near Livingston.
Miraculously, he avoided major injury and awoke in hospital with barely a scratch. Afterwards Mr Quigley vowed to help others in a similar situation.
He announced plans last month for a global challenge that aims to help eliminate the stigma surrounding mental health issues.
Mr Quigley has now revealed that he will aspire to follow in the tyre tracks of Scottish adventurer Mark Beaumont by cycling round-the-world – despite the fact he does not currently own a bike.
He will visit more than 80 countries in six continents as the self-dubbed Tartan Explorer, which he hopes will lead to a long-term social enterprise.
Mr Quigley will complete a checklist in each place he visits, including sharing his story in front of a high-profile audience and volunteering for a mental health charity.
He will also perform a series of physical challenges at landmarks including New York's Times Square, the Eiffel Tower in Paris and the Great Wall of China, dressed in his kilt and eye-catching Saltire-emblazoned Morphsuit.
His ambition is to create the world's largest online community for mental health awareness.
"No one attempts suicide because they want to die," he said. "They do it because they want to stop the pain and suffering."
Mr Quigley cites Beaumont and six-time Olympic champion Sir Chris Hoy, who he heard speak in Edinburgh last month, as the inspiration for his cycling adventure.
It is his goal to raise £100,000 for the project through crowdfunding which will launch in April.
Prior to setting off, he will cycle 1,500 miles around Scotland leaving from Edinburgh and taking in the Borders before pedalling north to John O'Groats.
Mr Quigley will then embark on his round-the-world challenge on May 26 – marking exactly one year to the day since he attempted to end his own life.
"I'm not a religious or spiritual person, but I was incredibly lucky and believe I was kept alive for a reason," he said. "It felt like I had been given a second chance and had to make the most of it. It was like being reborn. I had a purpose in life I was missing before."
Following his crash in May, Mr Quigley had his driving licence revoked by the DVLA under the Mental Health Act.
He pleaded guilty to dangerous driving with sentencing deferred until April next year.
Since announcing his challenge, Mr Quigley's heartfelt launch video has reached more than 100,000 people on Facebook and close to 250,000 have viewed the Tartan Explorer website.
He has been contacted by thousands of people worldwide including at least five individuals who said they were contemplating suicide but that hearing his story had helped them to seek support.
"Around two people in Scotland take their own lives every day – almost 700 a year," said Mr Quigley. "My dream and long-term goal is to eradicate suicide from society. It is not enough to say I want to just reduce that figure to 100 a year.
"In my opinion it is preventable. People only take their own life because they are suffering and feel things won't get any better but that doesn't need to be the case."
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