A man who lost 3 family members to suicide is in training for a huge year of fundraising to support The Jordan Legacy.
Daniel Cardwell, a National Strategy Manager for Energy & Infrastructure for Nationwide Platforms (Loxam Group) who lives in Southport, is aiming to raise over £10,000 as he pushes himself to the ultimate limits.
He will climb Mount Snowdon this Summer. With a height of 1,085 metres (3,560 ft) above sea level, it is the highest mountain in Wales and the highest in the British Isles south of the Scottish Highlands.
Then on:- 20 September 2026 he will push himself through the Ironman 70.3 Weymouth, which consists of a 1.3m swim in the sea followed by a 56m bike ride and then a 13.2m run.
Daniel, who has a 4-year-old son, is someone who knows all about fitness, having played for England Basketball at junior level.
However he’s never run a marathon, so is testing himself as he trains hard for both events.
He has already completed the Liverpool Santa Dash (5k), the St Helens 10K and the Southport 13.5k run.
Daniel was devastated at losing his brother Craig to suicide along with his 2 cousins, Jacqueline Cardwell and Jason Cardwell.
He was born and grew up in St Helens, going to school at De La Salle School in St Helens, before moving to Southport 4 years ago.
He has been inspired to raise funds for the The Jordan Legacy, which exists to raise awareness about suicide and the practical actions schools, workplaces and communities can take to prevent one of the most preventable deaths in the UK and globally.
Each year, over 7,000 men, women and children take their own lives in the UK, impacting almost 1 million people known to them collectively.
Their vision is to move towards a 'Zero Suicide Society', that is willing and able to do all it can to prevent all preventable suicides.
The Jordan Legacy CIC was formed in August 2020 following the death of the founder’s son, Jordan Phillip, on:- 4 December 2019.
People can support Daniel’s fundraiser on his JustGiving page here.
Daniel Cardwell said:- “I'm aiming to raise £10,000 to support The Jordan Legacy Foundation and would love support from anyone who’d like to back me. This is a massive year of fundraising! I’d love to see businesses sponsoring me - I’m happy to wear your company’s logo on my t-shirt as I take on the Snowdon Climb and the Ironman event in Weymouth. I’m determined to raise as much money as I can for The Jordan Legacy, as well as helping to raise awareness. They are a small CIC but what they do is phenomenal. It’s run by Steve Phillips and his daughter Danielle Phillips."
“The biggest killer of men and women under 35 in the UK isn't road traffic accidents, cancer, heart attacks or diabetes - it's suicide. The thought of losing someone you love to suicide is unimaginable. Yet, for many families, including mine, it has become a heartbreaking reality. Over the years, we have faced the devastating loss of 3 beloved family members - 2 young men and 1 young woman - each taking their own life. I lost my brother, Craig, to suicide in June 2019. It came completely out of the blue. We never saw it coming. He had a fantastic life. He had a lovely family, 2 beautiful children aged 4 and 11, a great job, he was living in a 5 bedroom house, life seemed to be going well. Craig was a year younger than me and was just 35 years old when he died. He committed suicide just before his birthday. He was clearly suffering in silence and we never got the chance to help him. He died in 2019, not long before the Covid pandemic hit and we all went into lockdown and couldn’t be there for each other. It was an extremely tough time for us all as a family. When Craig and I were younger, our Mum and Dad used to bring us to Southport to enjoy days out. We loved playing in the sand dues at Ainsdale Beach; we loved the arcades; we loved strolling along Southport Pier. "
Daniel continued:- “This tragedy has left an indelible mark on our lives, with 1 loss every decade since I was born. Suicide doesn’t discriminate, It can affect anybody. I don’t want to see other people struggling. As I have got older, I feel a responsibility to other men and women out there who may be suffering in silence and need support. I can’t do what Steve and Danielle from The Jordan Legacy do day in and day out, changing lives. They are awe-inspiring people. But what I can do is I can swim; I can cycle; I can run; and I can work hard to raise funds to support the vital life-saving work they’re doing and I can rally people together. “Suicide is a leading cause of death among individuals under 35 and men aged 35-49, and the numbers continue to rise. This alarming trend is why I am launching this fundraising page and organising multiple events throughout 2026. I am paying all the entry fees myself; I am paying all the travel fees; I am paying for a new road bike, which is arriving soon; so every penny that people donate will go 100% to charity with nothing on costs. I am proud to support a small yet impactful organisation dedicated to preventing all preventable suicides in the UK. Their mission resonates deeply with me as I have witnessed firsthand the tireless efforts of their founder and team in raising awareness about this critical issue."
"The Jordan Legacy was established in memory of a son who tragically lost his life at the age of 34. His family are originally from the North West, which makes this cause even more personal for me. Each year, over 7,000 people die by suicide in the UK - a statistic that is increasing year on year. It’s particularly concerning that in my hometown of St Helens, we face 1 of the highest suicide rates in the UK. I feel compelled to take action. Throughout the year I will add in surprise events to gain momentum and visibility for this exceptional foundation. The team needs all the help they can get; more exposure means more funding for critical resources needed to urgently reduce UK suicide figures!"
“I am taking on the Snowdon Climb this summer, with an exact date to be finalised. If anyone would like to come and climb with me they’re more than welcome. In 2020, I organised a group climb up Snowdon with over 50 participants to raise awareness about suicide prevention raising £3,500 to support a new mental health and suicide awareness group get up and running. I’m looking forward to going back. For the last event of the year I needed to do something big. Something which takes considerable time, effort and training. Over the last year I've committed myself to an intense training routine and I'm proud to announce I will be attending Ironman 70.3 Weymouth. I’ve never run a marathon before, so this is a huge challenge for me. It will take around 7 or 8 hours to complete. I feel excited for the challenge - as well as very nervous, but I’m being inspired every day by the knowledge that I’m doing this for a phenomenal cause. I have been busy training, swimming at Dunes Leisure Centre in Southport, while running and cycling on various routes through Southport. I love cycling along the coast. I do the Go Run event in Birkdale every Sunday. I’m doing some paddle boarding in Lake Bala in Wales. I’m planning to head to Ecclestone Delph Quarry to do some open water swimming, which is very different to swimming in a pool. I’m training around 15 hours a week at the moment, and am about to step that up to about 25 hours a week. If anyone sees me cycling or running past please give me a wave! It’s hard work, however the training and commitment I make day in day out is nothing compared to what the team at The Jordan Legacy Foundation does on a daily basis. They need all the support they can get.”
People can support Daniel Cardwell’s fundraiser on his JustGiving page here.
Follow his journey on Instagram.