It all started with a chance encounter on the street and a chat over a coffee whilst we sheltered in a doorway from the elements. He’d had a good career with the Guards, left the army with high aspirations, ended up making some mistakes and was now existing day-to-day living an ‘invisible life’ on our streets. His story was poignant and coming from a military background I wanted to help but I also realized that to make a real and lasting difference I needed first to know more.

So I set out to learn about the plight of our veterans, particularly those who have left the Armed Forces and experienced problems in civilian life, and this journey brought me into contact with the wonderful people at Veterans Aid.  The charity has been in existence for over 80 years working tirelessly as the nations’s one-stop shop for Veterans in Crisis.  In a way you can almost consider it to be the A&E of the Veterans world, offering a ‘hand up’ not a ‘hand out’ to those in need.  I have to honest and say I’ve dispelled quite a few misconceptions along the way and am amazed at the unparalleled success rate that this charity has had in breaking the cycle of crisis.

So inspired by their work and in respect to our veterans, I’m taking on the legendary ‘Marathon des Sables’ (MdS) in April 2016 in a bid to raise awareness and encourage extra support for the charity’s work.  For those of you unfamiliar with this event, it has been described as “the toughest footrace on earth” where participants have to carry their own supplies and survival equipment across 156 miles of Africa’s Sahara desert - where temperatures can soar to 50C. The six-stage challenge features a non-stop phase over 75 kilometers and is known for testing participants to their limits.

Whilst I may not be a stranger to physical challenges, having already participated in a number of one-day ‘ultra marathons’ and mountainascents, this is going to be my toughest test to date.  With just 16 weeks to go intense training is already under way with early morning and late night runs dominating most days but I hope that with your amazing support we can make a real difference to the plight of our veterans. 

So whether you want to sponsor blisters or even a few torturous kilometers in the sand dunes, anything you can donate would be gratefully received.

Thanks!