In 2010, while serving in Afghanistan, war veteran Mark Harding was shot through the neck.
His C5 and C6 spinal segments were completely shattered, resulting in him becoming paralysed from the neck down. Despite being told multiple times that he would never walk again, Mark slowly started to regain some movement.
On Saturday 13 May, Mark begins his Big Miles for Little Smiles fundraising challenge. An almost 1000 mile walk across the length of the UK, travelling from John O’ Groats down to Land’s End – the country’s two furthest points – in support of Scotty’s Little Soldiers, the charity for bereaved military children.
Mark says:
“I’ve just been raising as much money as I can and giving back to charities that do so much for the military community. I attended the Scotty’s Ball a few years ago with a friend, and I’ve wanted to do something for Scotty’s ever since. The work the charity does is brilliant. Following Scotty’s on Facebook and seeing everything they do for bereaved military children – it’s a real wake up call.”
Since 2012, Mark has been taking on extreme fundraising challenges for military charities that mean a lot to him, and in 2021 was named ITV’s Pride of Britain Regional Fundraiser of the Year.
“As a result of nerve damage from being shot through the neck, I can’t have children now. For me, this is a way of helping everyone else’s kids. It’s a way for me to have a really positive impact on children’s lives […] Due to my injury, I have no feeling in my right leg and my foot drags when I’m tired, so I’ll be doing a lot of the walk on crutches with everything I need for the journey in a rucksack. It’s going to be a long one – between three or four months in total.”
Mark’s route will lead him through his hometown of Carlisle and along almost 1000 miles of the UK.
“I’m pretty much ready now and raring to get stuck in. I’m looking forward to all of it. People always ask things like how I deal with bad weather, but there is no bad weather. I enjoy it if it’s sunny, I enjoy it if it’s pouring. We’re blessed in the UK to have an amazing countryside and I love exploring it.”
The journey comes shortly after the coronation of His Majesty King Charles III, which Mark intends to commemorate by carrying a flag of The King for the duration of the challenge.
“I’ve got a notebook full of stuff that I would like to do and I’m always having new ideas. Being disabled, I think a lot of people write you off, especially if it’s an obvious disability, like if you’re missing a limb or in a wheelchair. I don’t mean that in a bad way – it comes from a decent place – but I think you’re seen as a bit more fragile. But a lot of the people I served with who were also injured have gone on to do really amazing things. That military mindset doesn’t just leave you because you’re disabled. I still exist in that headspace.”
Mark attributes this mindset to part of the reason he was able to regain more function after being shot than any of his doctors anticipated.
“I don’t really think about what I’ve done – I’m always focussed on what’s next. That was instilled into me when I was in rehabilitation. For instance, once I had got out the wheelchair and walked with crutches a couple of times, I was straight on to learning how to walk without them. The faster I progressed, the faster I could go home and see my family. It’s just like when you go back to the Army, you have a set drill where you go through your weapons training, and as soon as you’ve got it you move on to the next thing. There’s no need to go back again. I constantly want to keep on progressing and pushing myself […] I think I’ve always been this way. When I was in the Army, I always wanted to be as good as I could. Even when the doctors told me I was paralysed, I was focussed on keeping the ball rolling, keeping my momentum going, because that’s how I improve.”
For those inspired to take on their own challenge for bereaved military children, Mark’s advice is simple:
“It’s just about taking each day at a time. Everyone can do it, you just need the right mindset. When I did my month-long trek around Remembrance, I just took everything as it came, enjoyed the countryside and focussed on the task at hand. I’ve always been a firm believer that things are only as difficult as we make them. Stick with it and get some advice from people who are good at whatever it is you want to do. It’s also just a case of being honest with yourself and your ability – I’ve never taken on something I didn’t know I would be able to complete.”
MARK’S ‘BIG MILES FOR LITTLE SMILES’ FUNDRAISER: https://www.justgiving.com/crowdfunding/bigmilesforlittlesmiles
