Julia Harris (Purser, 1971) - In April 2010, Victoria Humphries  ran the London Marathon to raise money for the Army Benevolent Fund.  After she did her run, I wrote about my son Anthony who had been injured when his vehicle hit an IED in Afghanistan in May 2009, and how in March 2010 he and his wife made the decision that as his left leg was so badly injured and not mending, he would have a below knee amputation.   Charities such as Help For Heroes, SSAFA and ABF have supported Anthony and his wife in a massive way over the last 18 months, offering physical and emotional support, and Anthony has, with a couple of mates from his Sandhurst days, decided to launch a challenge in 2011 to raise funds for these charities.

The website is www.Row2Recovery.com.  They are intending to row across the Atlantic, starting in December 2011 - as well as to achieve a million metres on a rowing machine within a specific time limit.  This latter event will be undertaken by injured servicemen and women.  The former is to be undertaken by a four-man team, consisting of Anthony’s two former Sandhurst colleagues and two injured servicemen.

If anyone would like to support the project please do have a look at their website, www.Row2Recovery.com - or if you would prefer to raise money along the same theme, perhaps through your local schools, your work place or however you think suitable, I know that Ed, Alex and Anthony would be very grateful.  I also know that if you wanted one of them to come and talk to help your event get off the ground, they would be pleased to do so, or to join you in celebrating your event!

There are so many servicemen and women coming back wounded and the help from these charities - for all of them and their families - is much appreciated.  Sometimes it seems a very lonely road to travel and without that support it would be a lot more difficult.

Anthony has now managed to return to part-time work with the Army, although with the Defence cuts and a medical board looming shortly it is uncertain whether his days in the Army are numbered.  This is a very unsettling time for him and his wife, and again these charities have offered much in the way of motivation, emotional and physical support for both Anthony and Liz.  I know that this is the case for many other families too.