On the 24th of January 2025 I will be running the Arc of Attrition 100 mile race upon the South West Coast path. I set out originally to do this in 2024 but my back went 7 days before. In the same week I got into UTMB - the World Series Trail finals at 171km and 9950m of elevation across the Mont Blanc Mountain range - giving me a real determination to listen to my body and follow the rehab.

With UTMB in the diary it was time to get in the mountains to train so UTS 50km went in the diary and the RAB 14 peaks ultra across the Welsh 3000s route. A lot of strength training later I will now line up for these 3 challenges this year before Arc in January. Being scared of heights 14 Peaks and Crib Goch is going to be a real challenge for me.

I would like to use these runs to raise awareness for and funds to support the Head Up Charity. I have chosen to this charity due to the need for better mental health support for the Armed Forces having never been higher. Paul Minter, one of the founders of this charity did so having lost 14 friends to suicide - twice as many than those he lost to combat, despite doing four tours in Afghanistan and one in Iraq. Sadly, since then he has lost further comrades, we can’t let that continue.

Paul has experienced the effects of PTSD and felt he didn’t get the right support he needed.  After watching many of his comrades struggle with mental health and tragically losing his comrades to suicide, he realised there needs to be better mental health offered to Armed Forces. So, he set up Head Up Charity along with three other veterans in order to provide a non-militarised retreat centre where Armed Forces can receive holistic and personalised mental health treatment. Here they will receive a combination of positive mind set techniques and therapies with an 18 month after care plan. Please help Paul to make this a reality, and give others the support that he and his friends needed.

Thanks for taking the time to visit my JustGiving page.