Veteran Mental Health Nurse walks 500 miles for Combat Stress
A former serviceman turned mental health nurse has been walking 500 miles across the UK to raise money for Combat Stress.
Travelling from Blackburn to his hometown, the Isle of Wight, 35-year-old Rory Wheaton finished his challenge on Wednesday 5 October after 36 days straight of walking. He raised approximately £2,500, far surpassing his £1,000 target.
Rory joined the Army at 18 and served five years in the Royal Engineers, including tours of Afghanistan, before retuning to civilian life as a mental health nurse. After leaving the army, he saw first-hand the mental health impact of service on some of his friends, and how difficult it was for them to talk about it. Someone from his regiment sadly took their own life. As a result, he felt that doing a fundraising challenge for Combat Stress was a no-brainer.
“When I began planning this ramble, It was solely for my own purposes and then I thought, hold up I could do something good here and try and raise money and awareness for veterans suffering with mental health, a cause that is close to my heart.
“This is a cause I feel very personally connected to, having seen and known men and woman that have struggled with their mental health due to these circumstances. Accessing care or even talking about these issues can be extremely difficult for a multitude of reasons and so my hope is to help raise funds for a charity that is already out there making it easier for veterans to get help, to feel they can talk and feel supported when it gets hard”.
“It has been tough both physically and mentally but also incredibly rewarding in many ways. I have walked through multiple severe blisters and currently a shin splint in my left leg, but it has been worth it to raise money and to see some wonderful parts of the UK and meet some truly welcoming, friendly, caring people along the way.”
To find out how you could support Combat Stress like Rory has, visit https://www.combatstress.org.uk/support-us.
