FROM LONDON TO OMAN - WALKING WITH THE WOUNDED CELEBRATE TEAM EMBARKING ON THE GRENADIER WALK OF OMAN
The countdown is on. Just 10 weeks remain until a team of five ex-military personnel and one member still currently serving embark on an epic trek across the Omani desert in what will be their toughest challenge yet.
To celebrate the team taking part, Walking With The Wounded (WWTW) hosted an official launch event to acknowledge what will be a memorable adventure.
Hosted at the Honourable Artillery Company (HAC) in London – the oldest regiment in the British Army, dating back to 1537 - on September 9th, 2020, the evening which was compliant with all social distancing and COVID-19 event regulations, shone a spotlight on the ongoing hard work and commitment of the six candidates who are involved in the expedition and the challenge that lies ahead.
Attended by the charity’s partners and Expedition Partners, guests were treated to a special video from The Duke of Sussex in his role as the official Expedition Patron. Discussing the difficult trek that lies ahead of the team participating in the Grenadier Walk of Oman, The Duke of Sussex shared a message of good luck and highlighted the continued support WWTW provides to ex-servicemen and women.
I WANT TO PERSONALLY CONGRATULATE THE UK TEAM MEMBERS ON THEIR SELECTION AND WISH THEM WELL AS THEY PREPARE FOR THE EPIC JOURNEY THAT THEY WILL BE EMBARKING ON. YOU REPRESENT THE WHOLE VETERAN COMMUNITY AND I HAVE NO DOUBT THAT THROUGH THIS OPPORTUNITY YOU’LL DEMONSTRATE THE RESILIENCE, THE COURAGE AND THE TALENT, THAT EXISTS WITHIN THOSE WHO HAVE SERVED.
The event gave those in attendance the opportunity to hear first-hand from the six team members what The Grenadier Walk of Oman means to them and why it was important they joined the walk.
An already ambitious trek across the Arabian desert will be made even tougher as the team pull a custom-built cart weighing in excess of 100kg with the supplies they will need for the 21-day expedition, testing the teams willpower and teamwork.
Starting on the 20th November and ending on the 11th December the team, all of whom suffer physical or psychological injuries from their time in Service, will trek between 20 km to 22 km per day. Temperatures will reach 95°F and around 550,000 steps will be taken across the Omani desert.
Ed Parker, CEO of WWTW said: “It’s an honour to celebrate the team who will be tackling The Grenadier Walk of Oman expedition. The expedition is not going to be easy but the strength, courage and resolve of the team taking part has and continues to be an inspiration. Each of them faces their own challenges, and have been physically, mentally, or socially disadvantaged since serving, however, together they will cross the Omani desert. Since Walking With The Wounded was founded 10 years ago, we have taken teams of ex-servicemen and women to the North Pole, South Pole, Everest and across Britain and the USA. The Grenadier Walk of Oman marks our 5th international expedition and another fantastic opportunity to showcase the grit, determination, and resilience of those who served. We are excited to be working together with our incredible expedition Partners as we raise awareness and highlight why we need to support our ex-servicemen and women as they transition from the Armed Forces into civilian life.”
The expedition has been enabled by the backing of INEOS Automotive, whose Grenadier 4x4, due for release in late 2021, stands for the spirit of guts, grit and good humour embodied by the team. Other partners supporting the charity and sponsoring the expedition include Global Energy Drink Brand Monster Energy, Satellite Communications Specialists Avanti Communications, British Outdoor Clothing Brand Craghoppers, leading wealth and asset manager Shard Capital and the Invictus Games Foundation.
The Grenadier Walk of Oman is further supported by the Royal Office of HM Sultan Haitham bin Tariq and is in partnership with the Omani Armed Forces.
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KEY FACTS:
- Thanks to generous donations, there were 1,906 ex-servicemen and women supported in 2019 by Walking With The Wounded.
- £1,200 is the average cost to receive 12 mental health therapy sessions.
About Walking With The Wounded:
Walking With The Wounded (WWTW) is a charity established to support the employment aspirations and vocational outcomes of our wounded, injured and sick ex-servicemen and women who have been physically, mentally and socially disadvantaged by their service.
WWTW recognises the inherent skills of our Armed service personnel and wants to complement these qualities, as well as provide support to transfer their skills into the civilian workplace. We offer assistance through our programmes to those vulnerable veterans who have been physically, mentally or socially disadvantaged by their service and assist them in gaining independence through new long-term careers outside of the military. This includes providing support to homeless veterans and veterans in the Criminal Justice System; areas which are too often ignored.
The outcome? Sustainable employment and independence for them and their families.