SWV ran its inaugural Ocean Challenge in 2018 with four international teams training and competing in the famous 'Round the Island Race' in the Isle of Wight.

The SWV Ocean Challenge, part of SWV's needs-led pathways for veterans to regain independence after injury or illness, is a fun, demanding, adrenaline fuelled and competitive sailing event across five days of intensive training culminating in the Round the Island Race.

This Sporthabilitation event aims to engage veterans and give them the confidence to take the next steps in their lives. They will subsequently be supported in our other programmes and our support will continue for as long as it is required.

The challenge ensures those with and without disabilities and hidden wounds compete on equal terms.

We are chartering five boats with professional skippers. Each boat will have four veterans; one Buddy to support them; a professional skipper; and, a Veteran Ambassador. Our Veteran Ambassadors have been through our programmes and now offer incredible peer-to-peer support. A medical team will support the veterans throughout the week. The cost to support a veteran in the Ocean Challenge is £2,000.

With thanks to BPL Global (£10,000) and the Royal Marines Charity for their generous donations.

"I never slept more than three hours in the last 20 years and while I was on the boat with the team I was able to get six hours sleep every time. I felt safe for the first time in a very long time."

"Four of us on the crew were wounded in service; Donna had thirteen surgeries and has a double spine infusion and lives from day to day with chronic pain and fatigue - and I'm a wheelchair user, paralysed from the ribs down, so I had to move around the boat on my backside. We also had two sailors with PTSD, so being in the confines of a small boat, living with each other for a week, was extremely challenging."

Supporting Wounded Veterans:

Supporting Wounded Veterans (SWV) supports medically discharged veterans of the UK Armed Forces whose lives have been shattered by both mental and physical injuries. The average age of our veterans is 39 years old and they have been out of the Armed Forces for an average of six years and are struggling to adapt to civilian life.

Our programmes address all the barriers to employment and include Sporthabilitation, Mentoring, Employment and Pain Management.

Currently, over 90% of veterans supported by us are in occupation or employment.