Darren Wilson is an ex-serviceman passionate about helping other ex-servicemen who have been less fortunate than himself.

OTHER THAN some small races around the area he lives Darren Wilson’s last big challenge culminated when he finished the Marathon des Sables in 2016.

However, after what he calls some ‘time out and recovering’ he’s back to raise money for Help for Heroes, a charity very close to the ex-serviceman’s heart.

Darren has set himself the challenge to run from John O’Groats to Lands end via the three national peaks in 2018. He’s raising money for Help For Heroes and asks as many ex-servicemen to join him on the challenge as possible.

Read on to find out how you can get behind and support Darren in his fundraising effort for this very worthy cause.

What have you been up to since we last spoke and since you ran the Marathon des Sables?

Mostly taking some time out and recovering after finishing the 2016 Marathon des Sables. However, I’ve been training and doing some smaller races around the Lake District where I live.

When did you come up with the idea to run from John O’groats to Lands end via the three national peaks?

I’m not sure exactly when but I have thought about attempting this for some time, after finishing the Marathon des Sables I suppose I was looking for the next big thing but I wanted to do a challenge of my own rather than a race and came up with what will be named Project Great Britain. 

Was it an easy to choose the charity Help for Heroes to run for and how can our readers get behind you and donate to the cause?

Yes it was , I was In the British forces myself so it is something that means a lot to me. If this means I can help ex service men and women to have the opportunity to live a easier life after serving then I think that making people aware of the hard work, training and not forgetting the harsh environments these men and women are deployed into is a great idea.

If people and readers can support this effort it would be a help to me and all service men and women.
I am currently putting all the plans together along with SIGG who are the sponsor of Project Great Britain. Greenwich Leisure Limited will also be involved and form a big part in this challenge.

Anyone interested in supporting Project Great Britain can by following on my Facebook page by searching Darren Wilson or Twitter @Project_G_B.

I will soon be launching a Facebook page called Project Great Britain so people can follow our journey via this, and also a website that I hope to have available soon. There will be links on all these very soon to my Just Giving page if people would like to donate. 

Darren’s last big challenge was running the Marathon des Sables.

Tell us about how you’re get injured Army personnel to run with you and the logistics of organising this?

The plan is to invite all ex service men and women to climb each peak with me If they are able to do so, this can be one peak or all three of they want.

I will be touching base with Help for Heroes and inviting anyone that wants to get involved

What are you most looking forward to in the challenge and what will be the toughest parts of it?

Meeting people along the way and talking to the ex service men and women will be a great thing. I’m looking forward to doing that, although I will be attempting to run around 1,000 miles and climb Ben Nevis at the same time. With Scafell Pike and Snowdon to also climb along the route, my challenge will end after about three weeks.

But for some of the men and women who have served for our country, their challenge will go on.

The toughest part for me is that I hope I can support these ex service men and women and that they can live a better life with the support from charities such as Help for Heroes. 

Find Darren at Twitter @Project_G_B and get behind him as he raises money for this very worthy cause.

Do you have a message for those inspired by what you’re doing and if so what is that message?

Yes,  if you feel inspired… thank you, but by the work done by all or Armed forces is where in inspiration is for me.

Please help me to help them.