Thank you for taking time to visit my JustGiving page.

I have had the honor of being selected again by Skiing with Heroes to help as a "Ski Buddy" to take a group of injured war veterans on a rehabilitation program in the Swiss Alps. This year, Skiing with Heroes will be helping 25 wounded Veterans (including two from Canada!) with life changing injuries get back into employment through a ski-based development, mentoring and job finding program.

As part of my selection, I aim to raise $12,000 by running my first two half marathons (the first in Austin, Texas in February and the second on the Great Wall of China in May)!

Below are some quotes from Veterans who were lucky enough to take part in last year's program;

“In every way possible, Skiing with Heroes has turned my life around.”

“I am so very, very grateful for all that you and your team did for me (and my wife). I am still smiling which is such a change for me. I am starting to feel happiness which has been absent for far too long now. I do believe that my recovery has begun.”

"A charity with a unique and intensely personal approach to rebuilding shattered lives.”

“With my walking stick, I’m an invalid, in skis, I’m just another person.”

"I feel like my life has moved on a million miles.”

“It was as if a line had been drawn in the sand. I stopped thinking about the negatives and realised I could look forward to the future.”

Many of the veterans struggle to find jobs on account of their injuries. The charity's work therefore continues once the ski week is done. Every veteran on the 2015 ski week that asked for SwH's help in finding employment has now found a job.

How can your donation help?

Mentoring a Veteran typically costs nearly $2,000 per year, and the Employment program costs nearly $10,000 per Veteran. No donation is too small, but here’s a small example of how some donations help Skiing With Heroes;

$50 - is a valuable contribution towards the Skiing With Heroes Veteran assistance costs. 

$200 - pays for a significant chunk of a Veteran’s one-on-one mentoring. Helping a Veteran focus on a progressive, achievable life-plan is crucial. Such support can take many forms, from the building of business plans and instigating lifestyle routines, to seeking the right professional or medical advice.

$950 - helps to pay for the full assisting of a Veteran into sustainable employment. This entails everything the Veteran requires from strategizing, job seeking, CV writing, interview guidance to the point of job-start and beyond.

For more information, please visit their website: http://www.skiingwithheroes.com/.

So, please join me in furthering the important work of helping wounded veterans as I have witnessed first hand the power of this Ski Week and how it deeply and positively impacts their lives afterwards. I’ll be paying for all of my costs so 100% of what you donate will be helping the veterans directly.

I sincerely thank you, in advance, for your support and help.

Emily