The Gurkhas, despite being the most respected and bravest soldiers in the world, are also the humblest and kindest. As young men they commit themselves to a life-changing venture, to serve a country thousands of miles away and potentially risk their lives to be the vanguard of the free world. If you are British you, perhaps unknowingly, owe them so much.

Eight Subalterns from the Brigade of Gurkhas have decided to undertake a massive challenge to raise money for a cause that does so much work to help retired Gurkhas, Gurkha widows, and communities live in dignity with infrastructure that us westerners take for granted.

Nathan Selling, Cameron McCall (Queen's Gurkha Signals); Sebastian Harris, Joseph Smith, James Windley (Queen's Gurkha Engineers); Alfred Shankland (Queen's Own Gurkha Logistics Regiment); James Fleming, Matthew Sutton, Peter Gardener (Royal Gurkha Rifles); will each be attempting to carry a 15Kg Doko 55km with over 2600m of elevation gain on the 9th November 2024.

The seminal test of becoming a Gurkha is the Doko Race. At the right time of year in the North of Pokhara, if one happens to be passing Bhalam Hill at 05:30 in the morning, one would see the spectacle of hundreds of potential recruits carrying a wicker basket (Doko) up a 5.8 km route that is a sustained uphill to the finish line. Given how much it means to them, utter zeal, speed and determination are required to pass the test in a time competitive enough to be considered. Many, despite their best efforts, are disappointed. The selection to be a Gurkha is one of the toughest in the world with over 10,000 applicants every year and only 400 accepted.

Those that are successful will then join the Brigade of Gurkhas and serve alongside British troops in operations around the world. In their 209th year history in the British Army more than 46,000 Gurkhas have died fighting for the British crown, and 26 have earned the highest medal for gallantry - the Victoria Cross. In 2009, ex-Gurkhas were granted the right to British citizenship which was a huge leap in giving back what we owe for their service.

However, many retired Gurkhas remain in Nepal and are in need of help. Nepal, if flattened, is the same size as France which gives context to the remoteness of the hill villages where the majority of them live, considering Nepal is actually 1.6 times smaller than the UK.

The Gurkha Welfare Trust provides medical aid and facilities in the most rural and impoverished areas, helps to build schools and earthquake resilient homes, water sanitation projects, and runs residential homes for Gurkha pensioners and their wives.

For more information please follow this link to see more of the brilliant work that they do https://www.gwt.org.uk/