Testimonials

Took me a little while to calm down and reflect on the trip , still processing the magnitude of information from the experience, certainly has been the most fun , emotional and overwhelming journey experience of my life , spiritually and mentally both on a superficial and on a deeper level that as time goes by the finer details are emerging from the effort that was made by , Ross , mack , Ben , Thomas and the rest of the men and women involved.

I'm finding it hard to put it into words the gratitude I'm feeling right now but I just want you all to know how much this has meant to me and the positive effects it had already had in my outlook towards my attitude and life in general , iv had problems with a lot of things mh , alcohol , anger etc you know the score but I feel purged from it all and happy that the "180" has been for me very effective.

Thank you to the charity for changing lives not only the direct participants but the wider effected also friends family etc

I love you all and thank you from the bottom of my heart.

Drew - VetRun180 - Beneficiary

If it doesn’t challenge you, it won’t change you!

Finding VetRun180 has been the best thing to happen to me, the challenges I have overcome and the difference I feel and others see within myself is staggering, I never thought myself capable of achieving what I have during the trip.
Sam - VetRun180 - Beneficiary

I am a former Royal Marines Commando having served for 11 years, and soon to be retired Police Officer serving for 23 years.
Up until a few years ago I was pottering along nicely. Then my physical health started to deteriorate, my legs started to falter and I had several operations on both my ankles and knees all service related. These operations left me with limited mobility, which meant I had to change my mindset when it came to physical fitness.

I was then diagnosed with severe Asthma. This has had a profound effect on me but again I have managed to adapt my lifestyle in order to control my symptoms.
Then the pandemic hit. Due to my severe Asthma I was classed as vulnerable. Unfortunately I caught Covid and became very ill. I was hospitalised and spent 3 weeks in hospital. I was very lucky to survive and contracted double pneumonia on the back of Covid. After being discharged from hospital and returning home I unfortunately didn’t get better and was eventually diagnosed with Long Covid. It wasn’t long after this that my mental health started to deteriorate. I became agoraphobic and suffered with anxiety and depression, and subsequently diagnosed with PTSD.

It has been a long struggle for me, but a friend of mine told me about VetRun 180. I applied to go on a trip to Sweden and was lucky enough to be selected.
I spent 5 days snowmobiling around Swedish Lapland. The trip itself was absolutely amazing. I was also very very lucky to spend time with some amazing people who I now class as friends.
There is no pressure, nobody judges you, and everyone was willing to listen…. This is better than any therapy!!

Amazing destination, amazing group of people, amazing charity. Thank you VetRun180 for giving me one of the best weeks of my life and hopefully setting me back on the path to good times….

Andy - VetRun180 - Beneficiary

I had heard of Vetrun180 on quite a few occasions, Ross Turner one of the Team leaders was my Section Commander in basic training and we stayed in touch.

I’d seen he had been a part of quite a few expeditions in the past that looked amazing, after catching up with him on the phone one morning and chatting about things that only people who have served can relate to he said that I qualified to go on an expedition and said why don’t you apply. I did and after speaking to another Team Leader from the charity I was asked if I would like to go go on a trip with VetRun180.

It sounded like the trip of a lifetime “Ski-mobiling around the Arctic Circle “ I really couldn’t turn it down!

I joined the 1st Battalion Coldstream Guards in September 2005 and It was always my intention to serve my full 22 years but unfortunately in 2010 whilst serving in Afghanistan, I was hit by an I.E.D and this lead to my medical discharge in 2013.

I don’t want to come across as selfish but I really needed this trip and I know that Sweden will be one of the best adventures I ever got to be part of.

How many people can say they’ve snowmobiled around the arctic circle, been ice finishing, seen and ate Reindeer and witnessed the Northern Lights!

Also this trip wouldn’t have been the same without the blokes, apart from Ross I’d never met the other lads on this trip, we all had our own personal reasons for being there, some physically and some mentally but we were all there for the same reason. A strong brotherhood was formed in just 7 days and the banter was on a different level.

I’d like to thank every single one of them for listening, sharing stories and making memories of a lifetime.

BIG BIG THANK YOU TO VETRUN180, from the Trustees, the Team Leaders and all the people behind the scenes to make this work and who help so many veterans on different trips around the world.

I want to thank everyone that that made this trip possible, to be back with lads from a military background was brilliant and the banter was flowing immediately! Every single person brought something to this epic road trip and made every day one to remember…The only downside was that it had to come to an end. I’d highly recommend applying for one of these trips for a challenge and to get behind this charity!

Kind regards

Kemsley

VetRun180 is a fantastic Charity that takes physically and mentally injured veterans on challenging expeditions around the world.

Recently, after completing a short application process I was offered a space to join 10 other beneficiaries (all injured veterans) in Portugal. We deployed in 4 4x4 vehicles on a phenominal off-road experience around a mix of challenging terrains.

The expedition covered over 1,600kms from the highest peak in southern Portugal (Serra da Estrela, 1,993m) to sand tracks and sea views on the coastline. Alongside the driving experience, the team camped out each night and this helped to re-invoke the sense of adventure and teamwork lost when medically discharged out of the British Military.

Adventure therapy is the key concept of the trip, simple but challenging environments that helps us all individually develop and progress through our own recovery journey.

Thank you to the team at VetRun180 for the amazing opportunity.

Ben - VetRun180 - Beneficiary

If it doesn’t challenge you, it won’t change you!

Sweden has been such an emotional week for me, being back with the lads that understand me and how and why I feel the way I do.

I'm lucky to be here now and needed this get away with VetRun180. This trip away has reset my thoughts and perspective on life, l've made new friends which I look forward to doing more with in the future, it's given me a new purpose in life have set new goals and have new plans to get on with.

I would like to thank the team in Sweden for taking us around the northern part of their beautiful country. I want to thank the vetrun180 team for allowing me to experience this journey and the lads on the ground know how much this has meant and done for me.

Benny - VetRun180 - Beneficiary

If it doesn’t challenge you, it won’t change you!

I have attended 2 Vetrun expeditions, which have been excellent and very well organised. After being inured in Afghanistan they have given me a sense of community, which I know that I contact at anytime if I’m in need. The expeditions have given me a confidence and sense of well being that I haven’t had since leaving the military, this confidence has transferred over to my home and work life and has made a massive difference to me and my family. Overall I would recommend Vetrun to any Veteran who wants a brilliant support network whilst undertaking challenging, well organised expeditions with great Vetrun staff and veterans. I can say without doubt that Vetrun has changed my life for the better after struggling with being discharged from the Royal Marines.

I found out about VetRun180 through a former beneficiary who had been on one of the Sweden trips. I cannot give high enough praise to all the TLs and benefactors for what they have put together. This trip has had such an immediate impact on my mental health, and hopefully will be the catalyst for long term change.
A fantastic trip with an awesome group of individuals. It will challenge you, and if you let it, it will change you!

I was made aware of Vetrun while undergoing rehabilitation for my injury/illness by one of the rehab team. After speaking to the Vetrun team I got confirmed I’d be on the next trip.

I was lucky to spend 2 days conducting my off-road driving/first aid course at the Land Rover off-road course followed by some immense off road driving through some of the best countryside in the UK (Whitby to Lake District)
I didn’t realise how much I needed the break, sense of adventure and the laugh with the lads and lasses on the trip.

I returned to Rehabilitation with a more positive and upbeat frame of mind.

A big thanks to the Vetrun team members and all the people that make this happen that work behind the scenes. A great charity that certainly has a big impact on the people it aims to help.

Bobby - VetRun180 - Beneficiary