EMOTIONAL. Euphoric. Exhausted. These are the words Lee Anson used to describe how he felt at the end of his 24-hour static cycle at Tesco Haverfordwest.

The 43-year-old took on the endurance challenge in memory of his younger brother, Michael ‘Mikeyboy’ Anson, who committed suicide in 2012. One of triplets, Michael, a popular boxing enthusiast, was 37.

Lee hoped his endeavour would raise awareness of mental health issues and funds for mental health charity MIND. Within the first hour of his cycle, the public donated over £250. By the end, the collection totalled £2,159 and money is still coming in. Lee’s JustGiving page will be open until the end of the week, and has already broken the £1,000 barrier.

“I’m overwhelmed at the amount of support I received, and the amount of money that’s been donated,” said Lee. “It really has blown me away. It’s been a humbling experience and it opens your eyes to how many lives mental health issues actually touch.”

As well as people from all over Pembrokeshire handing over cheques and cash, local businesses Caddies Café in Freystrop and Moby Dicks Fish and Chips in Merlins Bridge pledged to donate a portion of their profits from food served during Lee’s endeavour.

Lee, who has experienced depression since his brother’s death, was joined by other cyclists for parts of his challenge, giving him a much-needed boost when he was flagging.

“People find it very difficult to talk about mental health issues,” said Lee. “It’s still a taboo subject. I’m hoping my cycle has broken a few barriers down. If I have managed to encourage just one people to seek help for problems they are having, all the pain in my thighs and bum will have been worth it.”

To make a donation, search www.justgiving.com for “Don’t be afraid, just believe”.