I’m trolled for going weeks without seeing my daughter – it’s a challenge but for a important cause, says Josh Patterson
FORMER Made In Chelsea star Josh Patterson has discussed the challenge of going weeks or months without seeing his young daughter India.
The TV personality, 33, is currently taking on a mammoth challenge to complete 76 marathons in 76 cities across the UK, in a bid to raise £1million for the Samaritans charity.
Josh has been sharing his progress on social media, and on day 35 he celebrated with his five-year-old daughter India at the start line.
Opening up on being away from his daughter and the challenge that poses as he nears marathon 40, Josh, who shares his daughter with ex Binky Felstead, said: “Life is challenging and I guess the challenge itself is trying to balance being a parent and fulfilling the obligations that come with this.
“But honestly India is really well behaved and a wonderful child, so I’m fortunate to have really enjoyed every bit of parenthood since the day she was born.”
The doting dad admitted his daughter is the big inspiration behind his current marathon challenge.
“She’s one of my big inspirations and I felt so strongly about this challenge because I feel that something like this will hopefully shape and inspire her to go on and do the things that she wants in life,” Josh added.
Continuing: “I’m in constant communication with her which is so important to me.”
Josh and Binky welcomed India into their lives when they were both 27, and shorty after Josh stepped away from the cameras of the posh reality show to prioritise being a dad.
JP had his fair share of ups and downs on the show after it chronicled his tumultuous relationship with Binky, and they ended up going their separate ways in 2018.
Now, Josh admits more children are definitely on the cards for him one day.
Discussing his activities with India, the star added he has a camper van which she’s coined the Elsa Mary Poppins and is “covered in stickers to suit its name.”
The sports enthusiast has had a tough challenge on his hands while carrying out his marathon challenge.
Josh shared: “The biggest challenges of running 76 marathons consecutively will be how much weight I’m losing through doing a marathon each day.
“The different weather conditions that we’ll face along the way also may impact routes, and the limited recovery time I have between each marathon is really hard. We’ve also had to take into consideration the mental exhaustion that can come with it and the travelling time as we travel each night to a new city.
“I’ve struggled with both depression and anxiety throughout my lifetime, and I just know how important support is when you find yourself in that place. Charities like the Samaritans are crucial and work so hard to support people in their time of need. That’s what gets me through the difficult moments in this challenge.”
You can donate to Josh’s epic marathon challenge, Run for 1 Million here.