Press Release

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13th January, 2021

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A road to recovery: from her lowest ebb to ultramarathon runner

Laura Bird’s inspiring debut, 10 10 10 is an uplifting autobiography of her remarkable 10-year journey. It charts Laura’s personal road to recovery, from her desperate suicide attempt to rebuilding herself into a determined, positive and motivational ultra-marathon runner.

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Four days after her 18th birthday, Laura Bird, also known as 'Birdy', survived a suicide attempt after walking in front of an articulated lorry on the A14 dual carriageway. Fighting for her life in the days that followed, the suicide attempt seemed a dramatic punctuation mark to Laura’s turbulent adolescence and of feeling physically and psychologically broken. Fast-forward 10 years and she has run 10 marathons in 10 days to raise money for the people who saved her life.

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In her uplifting story, Birdy recounts the moving and motivational 10 years, from learning how to walk again to the challenges of training for an Ironman Triathlon and facing the brutal Directing Staff when she was a recruit on Channel 4's SAS: Who Dares Wins. Her fascinating book culminates in the biggest challenge of all, facing her first 10-day ultra-marathon.

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It is a brave book that addresses the way our health service approach mental-health problems and the individuals experiencing them. In 10 10 10 Laura tackles such stigmas and questions the tick list approach towards diagnosing psychological conditions, as she admits:
“Yes, I was a rather volatile 18-year-old who had just thrown herself under a lorry. And yes, there is not a mental health department in this country that isn’t drastically understaffed and overworked… I wanted to fight for a decent, research-based, applicable mental health diagnosis that provided solutions, not endless problems. Even though I was outnumbered, insulted and humiliated, I, albeit subconsciously, began to fight for myself.”

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Passionate about mental health and taking responsibility for it, Laura’s autobiography celebrates the powerful impact physical activity can have on improving mental health and how she fought back from the brink.

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10 10 10 is an incredible and unbeatable story of recovery and the pursuit of life-changing endeavours. Funny, raw and emotional, it is a story of so much more than just running. It is a candid memoir of resilience, positivity and a renewed gratefulness for everything life has to offer, after coming so close to losing it all, as an inspirational Laura reminds us:
“Get up, get going and jump all over that next opportunity that you have either dug out for yourself or life has graciously given you. Because you are so bloody privileged to even be able to physically (or metaphorically) jump at the opportunity, never mind take it on in all its glory…There is still waking up every day and experiencing the unquestionable privilege of being ALIVE.”

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Review Copies of 10 10 10 and interviews with the author are available on request.
Contact us here for details.

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10 10 10 is available to buy from Amazon and other retailers
Price: £12.99 (Paperback); £2.37 (Kindle Edition)
Pages: 280
Published by: Laura Bird, November 2020.

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About the Author

Laura Bird, 28, lives in Cambridge. Born and raised in Ipswich, Suffolk, she studied A Levels in English, Psychology and Sports Science at Kesgrave Sixth Form College. In 2013, Laura qualified as a personal trainer and fitness instructor and worked in the fitness industry for four years.

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Passionate about sport, she played semi-professional football for Ipswich Town Women’s FC until the age of 24. And, for her young age, Laura’s achievements are outstanding. In 2012, she carried the Olympic Torch in the Nationwide Olympic Torch Relay and completed an Ironman Triathlon in 2019. In total, she has completed 17 marathons. In 2020, also to her credit, Laura won the East Anglian Air Ambulance Inspiration Awards: Most Inspirational Event Fundraiser. She undertook the challenge of The Thrive Programme earning the accolade, ‘Thriver of the year 2020’ and was also one of the first ever female recruits on Channel 4’s SAS Who Dares Wins (Series 4) in 2019.

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Today, as well as being a self-published author, Laura is a motivational speaker for schools and businesses across the country. Passionate about sport, health, fitness and exercise of any kind, she continues to run weekly and writes mental-health vlogs on social media. She remains inspired by endurance athletes and adventurers of all kinds, including: Ross Edgeley, Ant Middleton and Nick Butter.

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ENDS