Thanks for visiting my JustGiving page and who I am raising money for:-

RMA - The Royal Marines Charity exists to help the entire Royal Marines family. It is a well-run and cost-effective organisation that offers vital range of services and safety net to serving Royal Marines, Veterans and their Families, a clear demonstration that it is committed to supporting their own at their time of need, reaching every facet of the Corps and underpinning the Military Covenant between our nation and its Armed Forces.

Follow the links below to see how the RMA operates and what it provides. #RMA

WHY?

Royal Marines are deployed on duty around the globe 365 days a year. Though they form only 4% of UK defence forces, they provide 47% of UK Special Forces personnel. With this level of commitment it is inevitable that many will get Wounded Injured Sick In Service and they all need our support.

From expert recovery and rehabilitation, to much-needed support; this amazing Charity is here all year round to ensure the Royal Marines & Armed Forces community can access any help they might need.

The Royal Marines Charity is uniquely placed to understand, respond and react, enabling Marines and their families to overcome their challenges, including life changing injury, life limiting illness, mental illness, transition to civilian life and poverty. This is the support required which provides confidence to those serving, allowing them to focus on the job at hand. It directly contributes to the operational effectiveness of the Royal Marines and to the defence of our nation. It also provides reassurance to those who have retired that the phrase ‘once a Marine, always a Marine’ is not a hollow statement — but one backed up by action and that the challenges they may find themselves facing, do not have to be faced alone.

So many Royal Marines Servicemen and women have made the ultimate sacrifice and their Families left behind need vital support. Many more have returned from Operational Tours & Service with serious Life-Changing Physical Injuries and Mental Health Hidden Wounds in need of real help. They all need our help and support, not just today, tomorrow, but always; so continued awareness and fundraising are needed.

Mental Health and & Suicide Awareness needs to be tackled head on and this can only be done with your generosity and support to enable the provision of vital services.

The increasing mental health support requirements in the veteran community are stark — in 2019 twelve Royal Marines veterans committed suicide, an alarming increase. The Charity responded in 2020 reaching out to our communities by running a ground breaking and powerful campaign #Lifting the Lid which was praised by the NHS, Samaritans and Zero Suicide Alliance. Through our Lifting The Lid social media campaign we reached 415,758 people!!!!!

All Military Veterans have suffered exponentially for over 100 Years, the MOD & Governments have made some improvements BUT there is still a long way to go to give Veterans & Families the fully functioning Veterans Welfare Service and Support they need and deserve; it’s time for real improvement, it’s time for change and everyone can help make a huge difference, and this is why the Royal Marines Association Charity is so important.

The RMA has achieved some amazing things, for example in 2020 Rock to Recovery coached 194 from the Corps Family (14 serving, 47 dependants and 133 veterans) (against 193 in 2019) with RMA funding of over £110,000.

2020 saw 1896 Individuals supported, thats 1,482 veterans / 414 serving (1,662 in 2019).

WITH YOUR LOVE AND SUPPORT I WANT TO RAISE £10,000+ FOR THE RMA CHARITY TO ASSIST THEM WITH THE EXTRAORDINARY SUPPORT THEY GIVE TO THE ROYAL MARINE FAMILY.

THIS IS JUST THE START OF SOME EXTREME CHALLENGES I HAVE LINED UP TO RAISE AWARENESS & VITAL FUNDS, AS LONG AS MY BODY ALLOWS THAT IS!

A BIT OF MY STORY

Yes, this is a virtually impossible extreme challenge for me and is something that is hoped to highlight the terms, ‘State of Mind’ and ‘Mindset’.

This challenge was originally planned in 2012 to help raise funds and awareness for the Royal Marines and other Arms of Service returning from Afghanistan and to mark the 30th Anniversary of the Falklands War, but due to my own mental health & physical health and ‘Swine Flu’, it was postponed.

I’m a Devonian at heart and spent most of my childhood in Devon; my wish was to become a Royal Marine Commando.Unfortunately Parental pressure forced me elsewhere and instead I joined the Army. I saw another way though to achieve the Green Lid and I trained hard to undertake the All Arms Commando Course. Unfortunately injury during training cancelled any hope on two occasions.

Operational commitments, postings and then a further injury saw the All Arms Commando opportunity postponed as was the Para Logistics course.

I was trained and prepared in many ways and was qualified as a Joint Services Ski Instructor (Alpine) & Joint Services Senior Kayak Instructor (Sea). ‘Per Mare Per Terram’.

I always had the Commando spirit and Mindset required and I served for 10 years until wounds, injury, physical & psychological issues caused my career to sadly end; this included suffering 2 Cardiac Arrests, twice being resuscitated & Gulf War illness.

I am proud of my military service and like many other Veterans, I enjoyed the real Comradeship and Family that there is in the Military. After discharge from regular service I returned to Devon and was a Reservist with 29 Cdo Regt RA.

‘THERE IS ALWAYS SOMEONE WORSE OFF THAN YOU'.I say this to myself, ‘I'm lucky to be alive & retain all my limbs, even if they don't function well’. As in life, there are so many Veterans who haven't been so lucky, and many more who fight the hidden wounds of Mental illness/PTSD caused by Military service and Operational Tours such as Falkland Islands, Northern Ireland, the Gulf War, Afghanistan and others. PTSD is hard to live with and many Veterans have attempted suicide on occasions; not something they’re proud of, but at the time it seemed their only option?

We must see changes and your donations will help The Royal Marines Charity provide vital support.

Getting out of bed some days had been a struggle for me both physically and psychologically as my body often wouldn’t function as it should when I left the military and random spasms saw me flat on the floor unable to move and the spasms could see me walking like a Velociraptor dinosaur. LOL

So many Royal Marines Wounded In Service, live with daily reminders of military service as they can struggle with the wounds, injuries and resulting disabilities such as PTSD, Gulf War Illness, Nerve Agent Exposure, Multiple Head Traumas, Ataxia affecting co-ordination, speech and memory, Carpal Tunnel Syndrome, Bi-Lateral Sensorineural Hearing Loss, Tinnitus are all widespread.

I suffered Ventricular Standstills and had a BIOTRONIK dual chamber on-demand Pacemaker fitted. Many suffer Aortic Valve Regurgitation, Vaccine induced Full Body Arthritis, Degenerative Disc Disease resulting from many military activities and combat boots. I have affected discs from this L3/4, L4/5, L4/5 posterior annular tear, T2, C6/7, abnormal vertebral end plates each side of C5/6, posterior osteophyte bars at C4/5, C5/6 but I’m lucky as many are far worse. So many military veterans suffer from Deficient Medial Meniscus as I do in my Left & Right knees, Deficient left & right MCL's, Deficient left ACL as there was much demand placed on your legs especially carrying bergens and weapons. I’m luckier than many who are sadly amputees as a result of IED’s etc and they are extremely brave. We all share many daily symptoms & side effects, some more than a Stephen Spielberg Space Blockbuster Movie. LOL.

Indeed conditions like these can make extreme fundraising challenges virtually impossible, but like others, I have a choice in life as we all do, and I have chosen a positive option using ‘Recovery through Sport’ to try and make a difference and help others. 

It’s going to be bloody hard if not excruciatingly painful and it will test my state of mind and take every ounce of effort out of my body, mind & soul, so all the more reason to do this and raise awareness for all those 'Royals' who struggle each day and need our support!

Why don't you come along on either of the days and support me and the Charity. Drop a few notes in the collection pots to show your support and help me complete this impossible extreme challenge.

THIS IS NOT ABOUT ME!

There are so many Veterans far worse off than me who need our help & support, and it makes me more determined to help others and help make their lives, better lives.I found Recovery through Sport many years ago and recently I’ve took part in the Royal Marine Rehab Triathlon in 2022 just 3 months after I had a Pacemaker implant. This then led to being part of the Invictus Games programme, despite my age and physical challenges. I was not discriminated against and was made part of a bigger #Invictus Family. Several charities such as The Notforgotten, the Armed Forces Para Snowsport Team, the Royal British Legion & Help4Heroes have helped me and others immensely on our journey back to some form of normality; not that I will ever be normal guys LOL!

The Invictus Games inspired me just as Mark Ormrod RM inspired me, and despite the challenges I’d faced, I have shown that I still have plenty to give. Being with other Veterans & members still serving in the Armed Forces brings back that sense of belonging & comradeship that can’t be found elsewhere.

The Royal Marine Family is a strong Family, and it’s for life.My Psyche is Sport; my Propensity is to Help Others and Save Lives!

I'm still of the state of mind to be able to help the Royal Marines Charity, Veterans and Families, and make a difference even if it's in a small way as an individual so why don't you come and join me on the Tarka Trail on this Extreme Fundraising Challenge. ‘Together’ we can make a bigger difference to those that need it.I aim to show that despite the many challenges many Veterans face day to day, that with Courage, Determination, Unselfishness and Cheerfulness in the face of adversity, and the right Mindset, we can all adapt, overcome and achieve something of excellence, not just for the Royal Marines Charity but for yourself in life in general.

So many before me have shown this and still show this today, so I’m trying to keep this momentum going to inspire others in my situation and thousands of other Veterans like me.

When I joined the Military I swore an Oath of Allegiance to the Queen, her heirs and successors as well as to the Citizens of the United Kingdom and this was for life; I was aware of the danger as were all Veterans. The Royal Marines Charity understands Allegiance and provides immense support for Wounded Injured Sick (WIS) Wounded in Service Corps members and their Families to try and make up the shortfall from the MOD that is so clearly there.I'm giving what my body has left to give to this amazing Charity and this is what drives me.

BE HAPPY BE GENEROUS AND SMILE

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