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Video: Hussain Manawer's speech at One Young World summit

Hussain Manawer's speech at One Young World summit in Bangkok.

A 24-year-old guy from Ilford has just won a trip to space – with the most amazing speech about mental health.

Hussain Manawer got a standing ovation after delivering his talk at the Kruger Cowne Rising Star competition ceremony in Bangkok.

Now, in 2018 he will travel more than 60 miles above the Earth – to the area between the atmosphere and outer space, where there’s no gravity.

And he’s dedicated the trip to ‘every single person who has suffered from mental health [problems]’.

LONDON, ENGLAND - FEBRUARY 02: Hussain Manawer attends the InStyle and EE Rising Star Party in association with Lancome, Karen Millen and Sky Living at The Ace Hotel on February 2, 2015 in London, England. (Photo by David M. Benett/Getty Images for InStyle and EE BAFTA)
Hussain Manawer (Picture: Getty Images)

He told Metro.co.uk: ‘Never in my life would I think something like this would have been obtainable. Hard work with more hard work sprinkled with passion and love can really take you out of this world.

Hussain's speech: An extract

Dear mum, I wasn’t meant for this planet. You did everything you could so please don’t panic. No one likes me so I might as well vanish.

See I write stories – I write them on my arm.

Only I can read them, but the doctor calls it self-harm.

When I bleed he tells me to put on a plaster – but I’m depressed inside, there’s no bandage for this internal disaster.

‘It is now exceptionally important and vital for me to use this platform for the greater good of mankind, the world and humanity.’

His moving speech about living with mental illness helped him beat entrants from 90 different countries to win the amazing top prize.

That, plus his work giving anti-bullying talks to schoolchildren, his budding media company, and the thousands of pounds he raised for charity by climbing Mt Kilimanjaro.

Speaking after his win was announced, he said: ‘This spaceship, I want to dedicate this to every single person who has suffered from mental health, every young boy, girl, man, woman who sits in their bedrom crying and you don’t know why, everyone who avoids mirrors because you don’t like what you look like.

‘I want to tell you, if you are suffering from mental health it is absolutely fine.

‘Welcome to the club, there are seven billion of us.’

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