Falklands
Gareth Jones
http://www.justgiving.com/garethjones16
What made you decide to run the London Marathon?
I wanted to set myself a significant enough challenge that would motivate people to sponsor me – the FLM is perhaps the most well known and easily recognised challenge so …. It was my first ever marathon though and I really enjoyed it.
Why did you choose to run for Combat Stress?
I lost my Brother, Craig Jones, in the battle for Mount Longdon during the 1982 Falklands Conflict. In 2002 my father and I had the chance to join 200 Veterans on a pilgrimage to the Falkland Islands to commemorate the 20th anniversary of the Conflict. I was able to travel throughout the Islands following the course of the war right through from the San Carlos landing site to the Capital, Port Stanley. We visited Goose Green, Teal Inlet, Bluff Cove and the mountains around Stanley. I was able to climb Mount Longdon with some of the men of 3 Para that actually fought the battle for the mountain and got a first-hand account of what happened. My visit culminated with my father and I laying a small wreath at the exact spot where my Brother was killed by enemy artillery – being a peaty area, the crater was still fully visible.
I also got the chance to speak with the Veterans and hear their stories. It was a really emotional experience and I could not help but be moved by what these once young men had witnessed and experienced – most of them are still haunted by what they had gone through. For many of the Veterans this was their first visit to the Islands, being unable to bring themselves to visit sooner. I witnessed how the pilgrimage helped them bury their demons and to deal with the stress and anxiety that still remained with them so many years after the war officially ended.
The pilgrims were supported during the visit by staff of the charity Combat Stress. They worked tirelessly to counsel the Veterans and talk them through their emotions and troubles. I was in awe of the work they did and the results that they seemed to be getting so I decided to do my bit and raise money for them so that they could continue their great work.
How did you find running the marathon?
I loved it. Having never run a marathon before, I had no idea how I would cope, what the experience would be like – nothing. On the day, the crowd was fantastic! I latched onto a group of runners following a Runner’s World pacer, and got talking to a lady who was an experienced marathon runner – for miles the crowd kept shouting her name and encouraging her “Go on Gilly”"Keep it up Gilly”, “great job Gilly, you can do it” etc – after a couple of miles I asked her how she knew so many people and was so famous? She showed me that her name was printed on the front of her shirt and that people just shouted encouragement!
What helped keep you going along the way?
I had worked out that every mile I ran I was raising £75, and I kept counting off the money. It sounds soppy, but I also knew that the people I was raising money for were struggling every hour of every day – I was just experiencing discomfort for a few hours and then it would stop – compared to their suffering, this was nothing. Plus, how could I not do it and let them down? Servicemen and women do so much for this country and I just have to help them back. At the registration at ExCel, there was a Adidas banner that had a quote that went something like “Some days, I just can’t believe that I can run a marathon – for the rest of my life I will know that I have” – I just stopped and stared at it for a few minutes and thought how wonderful it was, it really bought a lump to my throat; every time I got a bit tired, I thought of that quote and it keep me going.
How will the money you have raised help your charity?
Combat Stress will use the money to support the ex-servicemen and women who find them. It takes on average 12 years of suffering before they contact Combat Stress. Once they find them, they get counselling, support and therapy to help them deal with their problems, its truly amazing and I cannot think of a better charity to raise money for.
Will you keep in touch with the charity?
This is the second year I’ve raised money for Combat Stress and I will continue to raise money for them for as long as I am able.
Would you run the marathon again?
I’ve already got my name in the ballot for the 2010 London Marathon, plus I’m training for a number of other half marathons – I’ve got the bug!
Would you recommend the experience?
Without hesitation – it gives you a renewed sense of faith in people, and a confidence in yourself that last forever.
What’s been good (or bad) about using Justgiving?
I’ve found Just giving a really simple and effective way to raise money. Plus the tips and gadgets are really useful (I’ve used the Just Giving logo shortcut to my site on all my e-mails). Plus, every weeks I sent out a blog to all my e-mail contacts to keep them up-to-date; without fail, within 12 hours of sending out that blog I’d have another 5 to 10 sponsors through Just Giving. Now I’ve done the run, I don’t have to spend ages going round collecting all their money – its done for me!
