Walking one marathon is a challenge, so imagine walking 30 over the course of a month, that is exactly what I will be doing this August. To mark the 10th Anniversary of the end of my deployment in Afghanistan on OP Herrick 13 I am planning to walk 600 Miles in 30 days raising as much money as possible for my chosen charities. I am in no doubt this challenge is going to be the hardest task I have ever undertaken.

My military career came to a sudden end after suffering two mild strokes known as TIAs in 2014 which left me with a left sided weakness, deafness and Post Traumatic Stress. I have been planning this challenge from last year, it originally started with a plan of walking from the Somme Nursing Home in Belfast to the Royal Hospital Chelsea to raise some money. Both organisations were hit badly with the COVID-19 Pandemic, with socialising being halted in both locations. As the year ended and 2021 dawned I realised that it wasn’t going to happen, during a conversation with my wife I added more miles onto the walk and then following an email from The Royal British Legion I added a few more miles giving me a total of 600 miles!”

600 miles is no mean fait and it’s not a number I’ve dreamed up. The 600 miles are broken down, 336 miles the distance from the Somme Nursing Home in Belfast to the Royal Hospital Chelsea in London a further 100 for the centenary of the Royal British Legion and the last 164 miles will represent my time deployed on Op Herrick 13.

The other charities I have chosen to walk for are those who assisted him through my recovery. The Royal British Legion, The Irish Guards Association (Ulster Branch), The Not Forgotten Association and The Stroke Association, without these charities my life would have been over, this group of charities are just a small number that helped me through my recovery and I hold them dear to my heart, this is my way of thanking them for giving me and my family light at the end of the tunnel.

At the age of 24, two weeks after my wedding and with my career ahead of me, I was told that my time in the military had come to an end and that if I had the stamina to have children I would not be able to hold them unattended and that my passion for swimming and walking would be a thing of the past. Through the love and support of my family, especially his wife Dawn-Louise, I have trained my body to keep going and never give up. My family are my biggest support network and have been fantastic throughout my military service and my recovery, my biggest supports are my beautiful wife Dawn-Louise and my son Craig-Jack who is my little sidekick.