Blindfolded Marathon was conceived in the Summer of 2010, after an Army Warrant Officer gave an inspiring talk to us about the work of St. Dunstan’s, a charity which provides life-long care and support services for blind ex-service men and women.
It struck a chord with founders Privates James Chard and Paul Harrison, both Combat Medical Technicians serving in A Squadron of the Royal Army Medical Corps’ 254 Medical Regiment, based in Norwich.
“We’ve been in A Squadron for a while now, and as some of our guys are out in Afghanistan at the moment, we felt it was appropriate and worthwhile to raise some money and awareness about this excellent charity. I think St. Dunstan’s stood out as they offer support to all ex-soldiers, even those not blinded during active service.” explained Pte. Chard.
Blindfolded Marathon, which we hope will be a vehicle through which other soldiers will come and raise money for Forces’ Charities, will take on a new challenge each year. For our first challenge, we set the bar quite high: we tabbed the Brighton Marathon on April 10 2011, with one of us blindfolded and the other leading. Tabbing, or Tactical Advance to Battle, is army-speak for moving as quickly as you can with lots of weight on your back.
Harrison and Chard proudly display their finishers' medals, after completing the Brighton Marathon