On 1 November 2022, I will be attempting to lift the Dinnie Stones to raise money and awareness for Combat Stress, the UK's leading veteran's mental health charity.

What are the Dinnie Stones?

The Dinnie Stones or 'Dinnie Steens' are two giant granite boulders with iron rings affixed. They are located close to the Potarch Bridge in Aberdeenshire, Scotland. Together they weigh 332.49kg (733lbs). The smaller stone weighs 144.47kg (318.5lbs) and the larger a massive 188.02kg (414.5lbs).

Why the Dinnie Stones?

Two reasons:

1) It is hard to do! Less than 200 people have successfully lifted the stones unassisted (without lifting straps). This is a personal challenge as I have always been a fan of watching strongman competitions. Most of the people who have lifted these are bigger and stronger than me, or they have a serious background in strongman or strength sports. I have been training hard but trying to lift these will push my body to its limit. 

2) The weight of the stones is symbolic of the weight felt by people suffering with mental health issues.

Why Combat Stress?

Supporting mental health charities is important to ensure people get the help they need when they are experiencing tough times. Combat Stress is a charity that focusses its help on military veterans. Having proudly served in the British Army, in the Yorkshire Regiment, for over 8 years, I know the type of people that this charity supports and I assure you all that they are extremely deserving of our support!

The famous 'Movember' movement also helps to raise awareness for mental health struggles, particularly amongst men. They chose November, not only because it sounds good, but because it is a good time to draw attention to mental health struggles as the weather gets worse and many people feel isolated throughout the festive season in December.

Combat Stress is the UK’s leading charity for veterans’ mental health. For over a century, they’ve helped former servicemen and women deal with trauma-related mental health problems such as anxiety, depression and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).They’re on a mission to raise awareness that invisible injuries can be just as hard to cope with as physical ones. So when a veteran is having a tough time, they’re there to help them tackle the past and take on the future.