I’m raising money for combat stress by having a very 'silly summer'

Throughout June and July I will be taking part in....

1) A swimrun- A 20km course made up on 4 swims and 4 runs up down and around Snowdon (you run in your swim kit and swim in your run kit!)

2) A 24 hour 10K.... (As many laps of a 10k course that can be completed in 24 hours....aiming for a minimum of 100km)

3) Ironman Bolton (a 2.4-mile swim, a 112-mile bike ride and a marathon.... in one go!)

4) A skydive..... from 14,000ft!

But why.....

PTSD manifests in many ways and can be triggered by any trauma, including loss of loved ones, exposure to war and accidents. It affects many people and can be particularly harrowing for families of people living with the condition.

Coping with the debilitating effects of PTSD causes strain on family relationships. The symptoms of PTSD reach far beyond the one who experienced the trauma and into the lives of all members of the family. Often, this manifests into a “secondary stress”—where family members suffer similar reactions. With family breakdowns and even suicide as a result of mental health disorders on the rise it is imperative that we do more to raise money for treatment and support.

Combat Stress are the UK’s leading charity for veterans’ mental health. They help former servicemen and women, their families and their children to deal with trauma-related mental health problems such as anxiety, depression and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and provide life-changing treatment on the phone, online and in the community and at specialist centres.