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Meghan Markle ’s mother Doria Ragland didn’t spend her Sunday chilling at home. Instead, the yoga teacher pulled on her sneakers and took part in a 5K (3.1 miles) race to raise funds - and awareness - for mental health issues, a cause she supports alongside her daughter and Prince Harry.
In a coral T-shirt, black leggings and red running shoes, Meghan’s mom looked stylish and ready for the challenge. Doria has a Masters in Social work from the University of Southern California and has previously worked as social worker for Didi Mental Health Services in Culver city, so when the chance came up to raise funds for its Suicide Prevention Center, she didn’t think twice.
Doria looked happy and barely out of breath as she crossed the finish line of the 21st Annual Alive and Running 5k for Suicide Prevention, helping fellow runners to raise $464,081 for the organisation that also offers free mental health help services as well as training to firefighters and other first response teams in order to approach the issue.
Meghan and Harry are both involved with Heads Together, a mental health awareness campaign that Harry launched with his brother Prince William, that aims to end the stigma around mental health. The royal couple - who are currently on a royal tour of Africa are sure to be proud of Doria’s accomplisment over the weekend, especially Meghan - who back in 2017 expressed her admiration for her mom.
“My mom's a yoga instructor, but she does social work, as well, and she works specifically with the geriatric community,” she told Glamour Magazine, “For me to watch this level of life-long sensitivity to nurturing and caregiving, but at the same time my mom has always been a free spirit. She's got dread locks and a nose ring. She just ran the L.A. Marathon. We can just have so much fun together, and yet, I'll still find so much solace in her support. That duality coexists the same way it would in a best friend.”