On 25th March, former paratrooper Jonny Mortimer Hendry will begin the toughest footrace on Earth, Marathon Des Sables to raise money for Support Our Paras. And as if this wasn't challenging enough, Jonny will be attempting a World Record by running the 156 miles through the Sahara desert in body armour - a 10kg weighted vest.
With temperatures soaring to 50°C and up to a fifth of the distance in sand dunes, mental resilience is just as vital as physical fitness in this gruelling race. As a former member of the elite Parachute Regiment, Jonny is no stranger to adversity and well prepared for the challenge ahead. The motto of the Parachute Regiment is 'Utrinque Paratus' which means 'Ready for Anything'.
Jonny says “The reason I will be wearing the weighted vest is because it represents body armour. When you go to war you wear body armour to protect you against bombs and bullets, but nothing PROTECTS YOUR MIND. I want to make a very clear visual statement about soldiers’ and veterans’ mental health.
I served in The Parachute Regiment, in all 3 Battalions and deployed on multiple tours of Afghanistan. Over those tours, I was involved in incidents that I struggled to process on my return and with the help of Support Our Paras I was able to find therapy and get my life back on track. I want to raise money for the charity so that others may find help and hopefully I can do it with this crazy challenge!”
All proceeds from our 'Brain Patch' have been matched by ourselves to a sum of £1000 and donated to Jonny's fundraiser, helping him on his way to the £50,000 target for Support Our Paras.
You can support Jonny by donating to his fundraising page and leaving a word of encouragement here https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/jonny-hendry
