Laura Cowell

Why I’m Taking On the 20Talk Challenge

Beyond the falls…beyond where life feels like it could pull you under… there is still something.

I’m a 47-year-old woman, and I became a mum at 17.

My early life was chaotic and uncertain. There were periods where my mental health wasn’t strong, and at times, it felt like everything was heavier than it should be. I know what it is to sit in that space where things feel unclear, overwhelming, and isolating.

Over time, I’ve navigated my way forward. I’ve built a life, a career, and a sense of purpose. But I haven’t forgotten those moments. They don’t just disappear.. they shape you.

That’s part of why this challenge matters to me.

When one of my team shared their experience of completing the 20Talk challenge last year, it stayed with me. Not because it sounded easy but because it didn’t. The idea of sitting in silence, with no distractions, no technology, and nowhere to step away from your own thoughts… it’s confronting.

And that’s the point.

For 20 hours, I’ll be in a 2x2 metre space. No talking. No technology. Just a chair, a mat, some food, water and my thoughts.

It’s a small glimpse into something many people live with every day….the weight of isolation, the internal noise, the moments that feel too hard to sit in.

Mental health doesn’t always present the way we expect. It can exist behind leadership, behind responsibility, behind the people who appear to be holding everything together.

This challenge is about acknowledging that reality.

It’s about creating space for conversations we often avoid.

It’s about standing alongside people who are still navigating their hardest days. And it’s about raising funds to support the work that 20Talk does in mental health awareness and prevention.

If you’re able to support through a donation or by sharing this page it matters.

And if you’re in a place where things feel heavy right now, please know this: beyond the falls, there is still something. And you can be something.

Thank you for being part of this.