Amyas Godfrey
Amyas' London Marathon Combat Stress Challenge!
Fundraising for Combat Stress
Story
Running the London Marathon in combat boots, body armour, helmet and uniform for Combat Stress, the Veteran's Mental Health Charity.
We ask a lot of our Armed Forces, sometimes we ask them to do things that we ourselves wouldn't want to do .... whilst many servicemen and women are enhanced by their experiences of service some come away carrying a burden that stays with them, a mental burden, PTSD, stress, anxiety or depression. So in order to raise awareness and funds for the Veteran's Mental Health Charity, Combat Stress, I have decided that I am going to carry a burden, the soldier's burden, around the London Marathon in 2021. My burden will be combat boots, body armour, helmet and uniform. This is what soldiers carry into battle so I will carry it for 26.2 miles. I ran the 2020 Virtual London Marathon carrying this but that was just the warm up! London is the real thing and a Guineas World Record Attempt.
I chose to leave the army and I was lucky. I wasn’t physically wounded or killed and 15 years on I look back fondly and with pride at my years of service, not with fear or anxiety. I was lucky but please wish me continued luck – combat assault order is a third of my entire body weight and running in body armour and helmet is not particularly comfortable – but it is nothing compared to living with PTSD, and I want to do my bit to continue to help my fellow comrades. So in order to raise money for this important charity I have decided to take up the 'soldier's burden' and I am going to run the London Marathon carrying a burden of my own.
Combat Stress, founded 100 years ago following the First World War, provides specialist clinical treatment and welfare support to all UK Veterans suffering from psychological injuries. The charity currently spends nearly £14 million per year to deliver its unique range of services to Veterans suffering from mental ill-health.
Combat Stress has found that, on average, Veterans wait 13 years after leaving Service before seeking help. Combat Stress makes a real difference to the lives of thousands of ex-Service men and women across the UK suffering from psychological wounds. The demand for their services is getting bigger all the time and they really need our support to do more. Mental ill-health affects ex-Service men and women of all ages.
Right now, Combat Stress is supporting over 5,600 Veterans aged from 19 to 97 and are a vital lifeline for these men and women, and their families.
Donating through JustGiving is simple, fast and totally secure. Your details are safe with JustGiving – they’ll never sell them on or send unwanted emails. Once you donate, they’ll send your money directly to the charity. So it’s the most efficient way to donate – saving time and cutting costs for the charity.
Thanks for your time, and your donation.
We ask a lot of our Armed Forces, sometimes we ask them to do things that we ourselves wouldn't want to do .... whilst many servicemen and women are enhanced by their experiences of service some come away carrying a burden that stays with them, a mental burden, PTSD, stress, anxiety or depression. So in order to raise awareness and funds for the Veteran's Mental Health Charity, Combat Stress, I have decided that I am going to carry a burden, the soldier's burden, around the London Marathon in 2021. My burden will be combat boots, body armour, helmet and uniform. This is what soldiers carry into battle so I will carry it for 26.2 miles. I ran the 2020 Virtual London Marathon carrying this but that was just the warm up! London is the real thing and a Guineas World Record Attempt.
I chose to leave the army and I was lucky. I wasn’t physically wounded or killed and 15 years on I look back fondly and with pride at my years of service, not with fear or anxiety. I was lucky but please wish me continued luck – combat assault order is a third of my entire body weight and running in body armour and helmet is not particularly comfortable – but it is nothing compared to living with PTSD, and I want to do my bit to continue to help my fellow comrades. So in order to raise money for this important charity I have decided to take up the 'soldier's burden' and I am going to run the London Marathon carrying a burden of my own.
Combat Stress, founded 100 years ago following the First World War, provides specialist clinical treatment and welfare support to all UK Veterans suffering from psychological injuries. The charity currently spends nearly £14 million per year to deliver its unique range of services to Veterans suffering from mental ill-health.
Combat Stress has found that, on average, Veterans wait 13 years after leaving Service before seeking help. Combat Stress makes a real difference to the lives of thousands of ex-Service men and women across the UK suffering from psychological wounds. The demand for their services is getting bigger all the time and they really need our support to do more. Mental ill-health affects ex-Service men and women of all ages.
Right now, Combat Stress is supporting over 5,600 Veterans aged from 19 to 97 and are a vital lifeline for these men and women, and their families.
Donating through JustGiving is simple, fast and totally secure. Your details are safe with JustGiving – they’ll never sell them on or send unwanted emails. Once you donate, they’ll send your money directly to the charity. So it’s the most efficient way to donate – saving time and cutting costs for the charity.
Thanks for your time, and your donation.