Anthony Lewis Swift

I’m Joe Swift, Son of Anthony Lewis Swift. I’m raising money for Walking with the Wounded, helping rehabilitate ex-service people after their careers in the armed forces.

Here is the story of my charity walk:

The plan is to walk (most of the way) Starting at Burton Albion to Wigan Athletic

approx. 77 miles if you don't get lost

Joe Swift, 43

I don't know what it's like to be in the armed forces but I know what it's like to live for 30 years with the consequences of the sudden and tragic loss of my Dad. Dad was in the army and the perfect role model for my sister and me when we were children, he would be extremely proud of us and especially enamoured with his five wonderful grandchildren. The stars and oceans past have gifted me the strongest and most resilient Mum who brought Victoria and me up courageously on her own. She supported us emotionally through our teenage years, and young adulthood; Mum can still put me in my place when I misbehave (which is less often now, although I think she'd disagree!).

Without the emotional support of a Mum like mine and other close family, I cannot imagine how hard life could be for someone experiencing a similar trauma; let alone a trauma from serving in the armed forces and having then to rejoin civilian society; trauma often compounded by physical and emotional suffering.

I see a therapist weekly, sometimes we talk about loneliness and how to overcome it, sometimes I just talk nonsense. That is my therapy. Therapy comes in all shapes and sizes; I have been told that once you have been diagnosed by the as requiring therapy it takes approximately a year to receive through the NHS. That therapy mostly comes in the form of Cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) which may not be the best kind of therapy for that person.

Walking For the Wounded is championing this year its flexible ability to find the right therapist for any ex-service people who require it within seven days, which is astounding. I chose to highlight that number by carrying out the Walking Home Challenge and walking from where I was born in Burton-on-Trent to where my Dad was born in Wigan—approximately 77 miles.

I woke up on 15th November and decided to do the walk that morning. I had seen that Wigan Athletic were playing Burton Athletic at home so wanted to coincide the end of my walk with kick-off at 3pm the following day, Saturday 16th: I got a move on! I caught the train from Euston to Tamworth, but got off a stop early by mistake and was behind already.... I ran to the local taxi rank with a bag full of clothes, a hat, gloves, a couple of tins of mackerel and a can of beans on my back. Running to the local 'Triple A Taxi's' I passed a junk shop and a fluorescent star sticker with a little BMX attached to it...£25 - that was going to get me to the game on time; so I bought it and it helped me make up loads of time until it conked out outside Stoke-On-Trent.

The journey was full of friendly and funny people who mostly thought I was as mad as a box of frogs, but overall understood the point and donated when they could. My main problems were walking through the night without a map, when my phone battery died on several occasions I got worried about my direction but was lucky with a clear sky until the morning. Having the phone die on several occasions meant I relied upon the generosity of several landlords which also led to stories with locals and their connections with the armed forces - I found that the issue of fragile mental health within ex-service people is broad.

I hit exhaustion about 9am the next morning by which time I was closing in on Wigan. I hallucinated a bridge that disappeared and then what I thought was behind me also changed along with what was in front of me. I told myself it was because I was tired. I carried on until Ashton-in-Makerfield where my Dad grew up along with his family. I stopped into Bryn Labour Club for a cup of tea and spoke with my mum and sister on the phone when I was in there - this was about 12pm - I'd done very well. My sister surprised me by organising my cousins Shaun, Sarah and Lou to come and see me - it was a real treat and the first time we'd seen each other not at a funeral for years. They live relatively locally and have thriving families too.

I started to relax, but realised that I needed to walk the final part to watch the game! Until I looked online and found out that the game had been postponed because of the international games...oh well...- a pointless journey? Certainly not, I had a shower and ate chicken sandwiches, onion rings and chips with Sarah, Lou, Jacob and Reece at Sarah's nearby instead, Amy was in bed, she's a teenager, Liam was at work and has a house now. I reckon the entertainment was better than the game would have been.

Please donate a couple of quid if you can, but most importantly look out for your friends and family at this time of year.

I am also raising awareness amongst the population that mental health is the 8th day of our week and we should take time to acknowledge its importance in our everyday lives. If you could kindly take an 8th of what you might spend on a dominos and coke this evening and donate towards a charity like Walking with the wounded, I think the world can become a better place.

Big love, peace in the Middle East.

Do you want to join me in making a difference? I'm raising money in aid of Walking With The Wounded and every donation will help. Thank you in advance for your contribution to this cause that means so much to me.

More information about Walking With The Wounded: Walking With The Wounded offers assistance through its programmes to those vulnerable veterans who have been physically, mentally or socially disadvantaged by their service and assist them in gaining independence through new long term careers outside of the military. This includes providing support to homeless veterans and veterans in the Criminal Justice System, areas which are too often ignored. The outcome? Sustainable employment, and independence for them and their families.