Nick Smith, who carried the baton through the streets of Keighley, said: “I tried taking my life three times.
“I never thought I’d make anything of myself or encourage anybody, but I’m holding this [baton] and I’m incredibly fortunate and thankful that I’m here to carry it now.”
Mr Smith now runs talks about mental health with teenagers at Keighley College, where he arrived with the baton to a round of applause from students.
“If I had the support at school, I would have been better equipped to cope with the thoughts and feelings and they wouldn’t have built up and built until I thought there was no way out,” he said.
Becoming emotional, Mr Smith added: “I do feel guilty that I survived and some people didn’t, but I can’t control that, so I need to focus on celebrating that I am here and I’m going to put that to good use.”