As if having a job, a family, two children and a busy “hobby” as an Officer in Sussex Army Cadet Force wasn’t enough, I foolishly decided that I should attempt the world-famous London Marathon in April this year. I am not sure why I agreed to run a grueling 26.2 miles through our Nation’s capital in 23 degree heat, but it soon came to pass that I was stood on the starting line along with a staggering 57,498 other people, regretting all the life choices that had led me to this moment.
I spend a lot of my time teaching our Army Cadets about the Values and Standards of the British Army and the Army Cadet Force, and when it comes to any challenge in life, I find they are an incredibly useful handrail for when the going gets tough, and applicable to any problem you have - even if that problem is running for a very, very long distance.
You have to have a certain amount of physical courage to keep going, especially around mile 20 when the regret is really starting to manifest itself. There’s also a certain amount of discipline required to keep up with the training schedule when you’d really rather just lie on the sofa after a week at work or a weekend away with the ACF – or often, both.
In terms of selfless commitment and respect for others, I chose to run in aid of Blind Veterans UK, a national charity that has a Centre of Wellbeing here in Sussex which Sussex ACF supports frequently. Thanks to the generosity of everyone, we managed to raise (at the time of writing) £2,724, plus another £664.25 in Gift Aid, which will make a substantial difference to the lives of those who gave so much for the Country.
In terms of integrity, I have to admit I came in just over 5 hours and 12 minutes, a little longer than my target time of sub 5 hours, but due to the heat everyone slowed a little and the day became firmly about finish lines, not finish times.
So while our Values and Standards are often just relegated to some bullet points on a powerpoint slide, actually putting them into action can have incredibly useful results for both you as an individual, and the wider society in which we all live. A huge thank you to everyone who supported me and our Blind Veterans!
If you want to aim higher, feel more confident and get a head start on your future join the Army Cadets. Every year thousands of young people and adult volunteers join the Army Cadets for fun, friendship, action and adventure.
