Silent endurance
I signed up for this march to raise money for veterans living with PTSD.
When I was young, I wanted to join the Army. I never did. I left school early, needed a parent’s signature, and it never came. It’s something I’ve carried with me — not bitterness, just a quiet sense of what might have been.
I know I didn’t serve. I also know that those who did often carry things home with them that never really leave. Trauma doesn’t end when the uniform comes off.
When I was asked who I’m doing this for, I put my brother’s name.
He wasn’t a soldier. He didn’t have a diagnosis. What he did have was trauma, and no language for it, and no one to talk to. He died before anyone could help him understand what he was living with. I believe now that he would have been described as having complex PTSD — something that still isn’t widely recognised.
I can’t change what happened to him. But I can do something that acknowledges pain, silence, and the cost of carrying too much alone.
This march isn’t about proving anything. I’ll do it at my own pace, one step at a time. What matters to me is showing support for people who live with trauma every day — especially those who were trained to endure it quietly, and those who endured trauma so early in life that it shaped them before they ever had the chance to choose otherwise.
If this helps raise awareness, or funds, or even just a moment of understanding, then it’s worth doing.
Thank you for reading. And thank you to anyone who supports this, in any way.
Support my March in March
This year I will be taking on March in March to raise vital funds for life-changing mental health treatment for veterans.
Combat Stress is the UK's leading charity for veterans' mental health. For over a century, they've helped former servicemen and women deal with issues like trauma, anxiety, depression and post-traumatic stress disorder. Today, they provide support to veterans from every service and every conflict.
I’m taking on March in March to help take vital steps towards ensuring veterans can get the support they need.
Thank you so much for your support and together we march!
