A Royal Navy veteran has completed the ultimate SAS selection challenge and raised over £4,000 for SSAFA and Forward Assist, the charities that supported him after he was diagnosed with PTSD…
John Mew, 60, from Newcastle took part in the gruelling 24km Fan Dance Race, which sees participants run over the highest mountain in the Brecon Beacons, Pen Y Fen, not just once – but twice. John completed the challenge in just under six hours and to date has raised £4,145 for SSAFA, the Armed Forces charity and Forward Assist.
John served in the Royal Navy for 12 years as a physical training instructor, ships diver and as a member of the Portsmouth Command Field Gun Crew. At the height of the Falklands War, John was on board the HMS Coventry when she was struck by three Argentinian bombs. The ship capsized and sank in just 20 minutes, taking the lives of 20 crew and injuring a further 29.
The loss of HMS Coventry sent shockwaves through the country, something John still finds himself feeling over thirty-five years later. In 2015, John was diagnosed with PTSD and has anxiety and depression. He is supported by his local SSAFA branch and has been given a caseworker who has built his confidence and helped get him back on his feet.
Donate to support John by clicking here.
