Stuart's London Marathon & Isle of Wight Ultra page
Stuart Barnes is raising money for Combat Stress
In memory of Marc Wilkinson
Story
For 2019, I’m stepping up the challenge level! I’ll be running 150kms across 2 events and 3 days in back-to-back weekends. On 28th April I’m running the London Marathon and on 4th-5th May I’m taking on the Isle of Wight Ultra Marathon 106km. I’m completing these challenges in memory of my good friend, Marc Wilkinson, to raise awareness and funds for Combat Stress.
I feel incredibly honoured and privileged to be representing the charity in its centenary year. For a century, Combat Stress have helped former servicemen and women deal with issues like trauma, anxiety, depression and post-traumatic stress disorder. Today, they provide support to veterans from every service and every conflict. On the phone and online, in the community and at their treatment centres.
Marc was born on 6th January 1978. He died of a heart condition on 17th May 2017 aged 39. He spent his childhood dreaming of either playing professional football or joining The Army. He achieved the latter. Marc served with The Royal Green Jackets, completing tours in Northern Ireland, Germany, Bosnia, Canada, and Afghanistan, where he was the victim of gunshot wounds and an Improvised Explosive Device. Being the victim of an IED, Marc had a severe form of PTSD and received invaluable support from psychiatrists provided by Combat Stress.
It was Marc’s other childhood dream that brought our friendship together in our teenage years – playing football for a number of local teams...and drinking beer…Marc was pretty good at both! In more recent years,
although we didn’t play football anymore we could still drink beer, and did so watching Marc’s beloved AFC Wimbledon.
As well as raising funds to support Combat Stress in delivering their vital services, I want to raise awareness of their mission: that invisible injuries can be just as hard to cope with as physical ones, and that Combat Stress are there when a veteran is having a tough time with the professional support they need to tackle the past and to take on the future. Most of all, I want to celebrate the memory of my good friend who lived life to the full – Marc Wilkinson.
I feel incredibly honoured and privileged to be representing the charity in its centenary year. For a century, Combat Stress have helped former servicemen and women deal with issues like trauma, anxiety, depression and post-traumatic stress disorder. Today, they provide support to veterans from every service and every conflict. On the phone and online, in the community and at their treatment centres.
Marc was born on 6th January 1978. He died of a heart condition on 17th May 2017 aged 39. He spent his childhood dreaming of either playing professional football or joining The Army. He achieved the latter. Marc served with The Royal Green Jackets, completing tours in Northern Ireland, Germany, Bosnia, Canada, and Afghanistan, where he was the victim of gunshot wounds and an Improvised Explosive Device. Being the victim of an IED, Marc had a severe form of PTSD and received invaluable support from psychiatrists provided by Combat Stress.
It was Marc’s other childhood dream that brought our friendship together in our teenage years – playing football for a number of local teams...and drinking beer…Marc was pretty good at both! In more recent years,
although we didn’t play football anymore we could still drink beer, and did so watching Marc’s beloved AFC Wimbledon.
As well as raising funds to support Combat Stress in delivering their vital services, I want to raise awareness of their mission: that invisible injuries can be just as hard to cope with as physical ones, and that Combat Stress are there when a veteran is having a tough time with the professional support they need to tackle the past and to take on the future. Most of all, I want to celebrate the memory of my good friend who lived life to the full – Marc Wilkinson.