Two epic challenges born from family connections

In April, two of our supporters with family links to our charity have conquered epic challenges raising over £6,000 between them. They are urging others to follow their lead and take on a challenge to support our veterans. 

Jack - Newport Marathon 

On 19 April Jack, 26, and from Lincolnshire took on his first ever marathon in Newport alongside three of his Army friends, Zach, Kristiaan and Nathan, all of whom serve with the Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers. 

Jack’s grandad, Terry, who is 80, started losing his sight around three years ago due to macular degeneration and has received our support since 2024. Jack says: 

“I’m really happy that grandad is looked after by Blind Veterans UK. They also support my grandmother. What the charity does for people like my grandad is phenomenal and I wanted to do something to enable them to support more veterans like him.” 

The group started the marathon together with the shared goal of raising awareness of our charity as well as fundraising. During the event, they went their separate ways to fulfil their own personal goals finishing between three hours 29 minutes and five hours 2 minutes. Jack says: 

“The atmosphere on the day was mint. People were reading the name on my top and shouting “Go Jack”, there were kids out cheering us on and people had set up unofficial fuel stops along the way. 

“I was quite emotional and crying when I crossed the line, partly as I was relieved it was over but also as I was proud of what I’d achieved. I was certainly walking like John Wayne the following day! 

“I initially said absolutely not to the idea of running another marathon but I didn’t get the time I wanted so I now have an axe to grind.” 

Jack is now considering applying for one of our London Marathon 2027 Charity places.

Jack's advice to others 

Jack and his friends have raised over £1,200 for our charity and Jack was supported throughout his fundraising journey. He says: 

“As soon as I got in touch with the charity’s fundraising team I’ve had nothing but support with a consistent back and fourth of information. I was pointed in the right direction and supported to set up my own fundraising page and given tips on how to maximise my fundraising and reach more people. We were also provided with T-shirts to wear. 

“I initially put £50 into my online fundraising pot to get the ball rolling and then utilised the power of social media. It helps that myself, my dad and my grandad have a military background so we gained lots of traction from Armed Forces personnel.” 

Jack’s grandad 

Jack’s grandad served with the 1st Battalion Royal Green Jackets. He joined as a rifleman in 1965 and during his service he was stationed in Hong Kong, Norway, Northern Ireland, Cyprus, Germany and the Falkland Islands. He served for 22 years and retired in 1987 as a Warrant Officer class 2. 

Terry says:

“I am so proud of Jack; I was proud of Jack when he joined the Army and I was beyond proud when he said he was running a marathon to support Blind Veterans UK. Hopefully he has raised awareness among serving troops so that if they lose their sight in the future, they will know where to go for help and support.” 

Anna - Three Peaks Challenge 

On 27 April Anna, 21, and from London, began her Three Peaks Challenge which would see her attempt to reach the summits of Ben Nevis, Scafell Pike and Snowdon in just 24 hours. Anna was joined by her mum Rebecca and together they made memories that will stay with them forever. 

Anna’s dad is a blind veteran; he lost his sight suddenly in December 2023 and Anna set herself a New Year’s resolution to take on this challenge and raise vital funds for blind veterans like her dad. She says: 

“My dad was very athletic in his prime. He is arctic warfare trained and spent years hiking, training and pushing himself in the mountains. In honour of his achievements. I decided to do something I’ve never done before and challenge myself.”

The challenge 

Anna and her mum, Rebecca, gave the challenge their all and went into it fully prepared, but sadly conditions at Snowdon meant they were forced to abandon the challenge for their own safety and for the safety of anyone who would potentially be called upon to rescue them if something went wrong. Anna says: 

“The first 12 hours of the challenge went extremely well and we really enjoyed it. The weather was amazing up Ben Nevis and Scafell Pike. We certainly began to feel a little tired after the second climb but we had the most amazing support crew which enabled us to sleep on the drives between mountains. 

“Snowdon was a different story; it was dark at this point, and the weather conditions were not brilliant. We were facing 40 mile per hour winds. The moon was out though and we enjoyed looking at that.” 

Anna and Rebecca made it around a third of the way up Snowdon’s Llanberis path, but were forced to make a difficult decision. Rebecca says: 

“It wouldn’t have been safe to continue and Anna followed her gut. We didn’t want to put ourselves, or others, in danger so we made our way back down.” 

Both Anna and Rebecca are keen to try the challenge again or at the very least return to Snowden.

Advice to others 

Anna has already raised over £5,200 for our charity and has advice for those who are considering taking on a similar challenge. She says: 

“The most important thing is to ensure you train properly and prepare beforehand. Mum and I completed lots of endurance walks in the run up to the challenge and worked on hill sprints. 

“I’d also say pack lots of snacks especially jellybeans and make sure you eat regularly as you are climbing before you even think you are hungry. Also make sure you take a bivvy bag with you. Luckily we didn’t need ours but, in an emergency, it will keep you warm until help arrives. 

“Know your limitations, mum and I hired a guide for Ben Nevis from Elite Guides and most importantly have a good support team as it is crucial to rest in between hikes and to not try and drive yourself. Anna and Andy from Streets Ahead Coaching acted as our drivers. They were the best support and kept our moral up throughout; we couldn’t have done it without them.” 

Anna has exceeded her fundraising target. She says: 

“Blind Veterans UK helped me tell my story which myself and my friends posted on social media, so we had donations from friends, family and total strangers who wanted to show their support.

"The charities fundraising team gave me lots of tips on how to make the most of social media, including keeping people up to date with how my training was going. We’re also members of a swimming club and we posted on their social media pages. I also placed collection tins in different locations and displayed posters on my car.” 

Anna’s dad 

Anna’s dad, Mark, joined the Army straight from school in 1981 and served for 16 years with the Royal Regiment of Wales. It was in December 2023 that Mark noticed something was wrong with his sight and he was admitted into hospital in January 2024 where he stayed for five weeks. Anna says: 

“It was heartbreaking to see my dad go through something so sudden and lifechanging. We didn’t know what the future would look like for my dad, or how he would adapt to losing his sight.” 

We have supported Mark since February 2024.

Anna’s dad was able to play his part in the challenge by ringing and making sure Anna and Rebecca were staying on schedule. Anna says: 

“On the first day, dad rang at 3.30am when we weren’t setting off until 5am and said, “Are you not on the mountain yet?”.