Living with bipolar disorder, clinical depression, addiction, and dyslexia for over 40 years, he experienced severe struggles from early childhood.
In a remarkable journey spanning ten months, author and advocate Jonathan Kemp has crossed multiple borders—from Scotland, England, and Wales to Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland—to raise awareness for mental health and neurodiversity. Speaking on LMFM’s The Light Lunch, Kemp opened up about the physical and internal pilgrimage behind his trek.
Despite coming from a privileged background as the future third Viscount of Rochdale, Kemp revealed that mental health conditions serve as the “greatest of levellers.” Living with bipolar disorder, clinical depression, addiction, and dyslexia for over 40 years, he experienced severe struggles from early childhood. After decades of trying to manage his symptoms independently and later facing a medication setback during the COVID-19 pandemic, a revised psychiatric treatment plan brought him stability three years ago.
Kemp’s public openness surprised many colleagues and friends who knew him through his colorful career as a former bricklayer, police sergeant, cowboy, and punk rocker. He explained that his outgoing personality often served as a mask. To share his story, he published his book, Finding Peace of Mind, last year.
His walking route holds deep historical resonance. Starting in the Shetland Islands on January 1st, Kemp traveled down the Scottish coast before following the exact route his great-grandmother, Lady Margaret Kemp (Lady Rochdale), walked from Carlisle to London during a 1913 women’s suffrage march.
Throughout his journey across Ireland, Kemp has focused on three essential pillars for his well-being: prioritizing sleep, practicing mindfulness by staying present in nature, and actively engaging with local communities.
“Our physical bodies have injuries and nobody bats an eyelid,” Kemp noted during the interview. “The brain is part of that physical body, and it would defy logic if it didn’t have its own issues.” He emphasized that the combination of social media pressures and the isolating impacts of the pandemic make open dialogue about mental health more crucial than ever.
Currently taking a brief seven-to-eight-day rest to recover from plantar fasciitis, Kemp plans to complete the final leg of his journey shortly. He is raising funds for Aware, an Irish national charity supporting individuals impacted by depression, bipolar disorder, and anxiety. Supporters can follow his journey on social media under “Jonathan Kemp London.”