My name is Private Jaco van Gass of The Parachute Regiment. I am running the 2011 New York Marathon for Paracharity, my second in America for the Charity - I tabbed the US Marine Corps Marathon (MCM) with a team last year in Washington DC. A great day! You can see me at the Capitol with my Reg buddy Keirhan Dry.
Since my incident with an RPG in Afghanistan, I have had some truly breathtaking experiences this year. Last October I was part of The Parachute Regiment team of wounded warriors that ran the MCM. We had an awesome time and were honoured to show our support for our American allies. America was very welcoming to us and we were overwhelmed by the support. We also raised much-needed funds for ParaCharity, which supports our soldiers and families. www.paracharity.org
I am proud and excited to be running New York this year for this charity that supports my own Parachute Regiment. Please help by donating.
I would also like to thank the Allied Forces Foundation in the USA which has made it possible for soldiers like me to take part in these great events.
New York will be a break from my training with the Walking with the Wounded (WWTW) team, which will attempt to climb Everest in 2012. Our successful Arctic trek to the North Pole with Prince Harry was televised and WWTW is dedicated to raising £2m for the re-education and re-training of our wounded servicemen & women.
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