Weighted Warrior, a 31 Day challenge during October 2023 running 10km a day whilst wearing a 20kg vest. Director and Founder of Hidden Warriors CIC Gavin Tuach decided on this fundraiser to help raise awareness and funds for our own organisation working to support children from the Veterans Community and Place2Be, the Children’s Mental Health Charity.
Why run with a weighted vest? The vest added significant difficulty to this fundraiser. The weight being carried also signifies the weight someone may feel on their shoulders when facing their own mental health challenges.
This challenge was well supported from many organisations that sponsored the Weighted Vest and had their logo added on a Velcro Patch. Thank you to:
H-Hour Podcast
Medical International Services
Portal Security
Fubars
Veteran Trees
Tailored Branding
During the challenge Spence from the Royal Navy and work colleague of Gavin decided to run and support. With no prior training, Spence completed 31 Days running 10km and 15 days of those wearing a 10kg vest. Spence added so much value to this fundraising event helping to raise awareness, donations and moral support.
Each day came with its own challenges, motivation was not an issue as we knew that each donation was helping to support those in need and raise awareness. However, battling all weathers, fitting in the runs between family life and full time jobs was difficult at times but the aches and pains due to the impact on the body was the harshest. However, we remained determined to complete this challenge.
Day 26 took a turn for the worse, ruling Gavin out for the remainder of this challenge due to injury. Massively disappointed, the show of support was overwhelming with many friends and family volunteering to take on the remaining days running that Gavin could not. Although, definitely not planned the injury sustained helped to further raise awareness of the challenge as it reached a larger audience as others were putting themselves through the discomfort to help fundraise and raise awareness for Mental Health.
On completion of this fundraising challenge a total of £1,593 was raised. This was a fantastic amount and split between Hidden Warriors and Place2Be. The total amount now donated to Place2Be excluding Gift Aid in the past 3 years is £1350. Place2Be have acknowledged our support to the Children’s Mental Health Charity with the following comments:
“To put the amount that you have raised over three years into context £1350 could pay for over 84 children to book their own appointment to speak to a mental health professional about issues like anxiety, low mood and self-harm! Whether providing counselling and support to children when they need it most, working with parents who may be struggling or providing invaluable mental health training to teachers and school staff – every single penny that you have raised is helping to make a tangible difference right now to the lives of children and young people”.
That concludes Weighted Warrior 2023. Thank you so much for your support, to all those that took part, donated and followed our struggles daily via social media.
