In March of this year I was DM’d by a guy called Justin, a 15-yr Veteran of the Canadian Armed Forces, asking if I’d consider taking part in Canada’s Army Run in memory of his fallen best friend, Cpl Brian Pinksen. Justin had seen that I was kinda into running so reached out, and I said why not! Monies raised will go to some amazing charities - in the UK via this page for Help for Heroes and for Canada I have a separate fundraising page where monies raised will go to Support Our Troops & Soldier On (URL listed below).

The race, called the Commanders Challenge, is a 5k + a 21.1k (Half Marathon), done either separately or together some time between 9-18 September. I plan on doing both on the same day, so that it makes it the furthest I’ve ever run in one day - 26.1km  

The City of Budapest, where I temporarily am, has a Half Marathon on 11th September, right smack bang in the middle of the virtual race period. So for the Commander’s Challenge I’ve signed up to the Budapest Half Mara and am gonna do a 5k for starters, a Half Marathon for mains, and then annihilate an espresso martini for dessert.

To further complicate matters I sprained my ankle on 18th July  so I’m currently in the process of trying to train my sprain away?!

Please, please consider donating or if you can't, just sharing and spreading the word. 

My Canadian Army Run fundraising page is separate to this and can be found here: https://raceroster.com/events/2022/55861/canada-army-run-2022-course-de-larmee-du-canada-2022/pledge/participant/14222074

Thanks for your time :) and see you with some training updates soon! <3

The Charities

Help for Heroes UK:

Help for Heroes UK provides physical, emotional and financial support to those who have suffered a life-changing injury or illness as a result of their military service. It gives them, and their loved ones, one less battle to fight and the strength to recover and get on with their lives.

Support is delivered via recovery centres and in the community and the charity offers one-to-one support, educational courses and other activities. The Grants Team also help veterans and their loved ones in need of urgent financial support to aid their recovery. Help for Heroes grants can fund anything from housing adaptations to specialist equipment.

Soldier On:

Soldier On supports injured serving and veteran military personnel with a permanent or chronic disability (visible or non-visible). This support enables participating members to attain an active and healthy lifestyle. Soldier On supports these personnel by helping them increase their independence, by challenging them to develop new skills and achieve new goals, and by opening the door to other life opportunities.

Support Our Troops:

Support Our Troops works to meet the unique needs and special challenges faced by members of the Canadian Armed Forces community as a result of their dedication to serving Canada and Canadians. It operates within Canadian Forces Morale and Welfare Services.

Some of the ways Support Our Troops supports the community includes providing financial assistance to promote family resiliency, to support the recovery, rehabilitation, and reintegration of members with a physical and/or mental illness or injury and various other elements that help the community cope with the rigor involved with military life.