I suffered from mental illness and depression when I was younger, and it totally affected my teenage years. But after a long struggle, I found a hobby that changed my life.

    My depression really kicked in after my parents moved to the UK when I was about 11 years old. Having to get used to life in a foreign country was very difficult. The friends I knew were gone, and the changes in my environment led to my depression. I had problems in many parts of my life, which made it feel impossible for me to carry on.

    At that time, I didn't understand that depression was an illness. I remember a particular day when I couldn't find enough strength to get myself home from playing in the park—it felt like I was carrying the world on my shoulders.

    Other times, I even thought about killing myself —I just felt so trapped. I never really reached out for help either, as I felt that there wasn't anyone who could have helped with my situation.

    What turned my life around, however, was discovering street dancing. I was introduced to it by a friend, and I started taking classes at a studio in London. After a few weeks, I began to go out and meet a lot of other dancers to practice and train with them on a regular basis. It gave me a purpose, and eventually the happiness I gained from it helped me manage my depression. The dancing helped me get my life back, focus on my studies, and get through university.

    My advice to anyone who might be going through something like I was is to reach out for help. The thing about life is that it changes, and you never know what might come your way. If someone had said to me during those dark moments that I would have gone on to achieve the things I have, I wouldn't have ever believed it.

    Just take each day as it comes, and remember that there's always someone, or something, out there to help you.