The Colorado Trail is a long-distance trail running 567 miles through the wilderness of the Rockies from Denver to Durango. It takes in some of the most spectacular scenery in America with beautiful mountain lakes and rare wildlife. It also presents some strenuous trekking challenges passing through six National Forests, six Wilderness areas, five major river systems and eight of Colorado's mountain ranges - all at an average elevation of over 10,300 feet.

I have decided to take on the challenge of trekking the trail solo this summer, camping unsupported and carrying all my own kit over the course of 28 days. Since going skiing in Colorado with The Not Forgotten ten years ago, it has been a dream of mine to return to the area in summer and tackle the Trail, pushing my own personal boundaries, proving that injury need never hold anyone back, and encouraging other veterans to keep active too.

I am raising money for The Not Forgotten, but I'm also doing the Trail to to encourage others to ‘Move with Marty’ by getting outside and getting active.

You cannot underestimate the power of being outside in nature. As serving personnel we were all so used to spending time outdoors doing physical activity that many of us miss that as veterans – or even sometimes avoid it. I want to try and inspire a few people to get back out there. Being active has been so important in my recovery after injury, and it’s so important to everyone’s mental health.

While I'm out in Colorado I'd love for as many people as possible to consider getting outside and active (if you can) – it doesn’t have to be a marathon: it could be your daily dog walk, a quick cycle in the park with the kids, your local Park Run or some yoga in the garden. Get a photo of you doing it (ideally with a sign saying #MoveWithMarty!) and send it to The Not Forgotten (louise@thenotforgotten.org) or upload it to social media tagging #MoveWithMarty. The TNF team will make sure I see it out in Colorado where it will give me a huge mental boost...

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The Not Forgotten is an unbelievable charity who support injured veterans and serving personnel through an amazing events programme with everything from concerts and parties to respite breaks to ski-ing, kayaking and cycling challenges - rebuilding dignity, confidence and self-belief, and restoring that sense of camaraderie and community veterans so often miss.

The Not Forgotten have supported me ever since my head injury in Afghanistan in 2011 and my subsequent rehabilitation journey. They have pushed me and lifted me, taught me to ski, re-opened my horizons and rebuilt my confidence completely. It means a huge amount to me to give back to the charity who have been my lifeline.

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