Testimonials

I attended the 22nd-27th Feb exped. When I first arrived at the airport and met everyone it was relaxed and we all clicked. Everything was well planned and stress free, even when we arrived at Sweden.

Every day was different and had its own challenge, I personally enjoyed sleeping in the igloo and will never forget that. Each day the TLs gave us daily and evening briefs and were all over the welfare of the blokes. They constantly made sure we felt ok physically and mentally, they were always available if I had a wobble, needed some reassurance or a hug.

I highly rate this trip and would happily do this again and recommend Vetrun to anyone who needs help. I honestly feel this has helped me clear my head and realise that I am not alone.

Thank you everyone!

Kenny - VetRun180 - Beneficiary

If it doesn’t challenge you, it won’t change you!

It was so beneficial to be around other guys that suffer with PTSD as it made it easier for me to open up and speak about my problems. It took a few days for this to kick in but all of us being in the same boat and sharing cooking etc made it seamless. Listening to a lot of the others that have been veterans a while has opened my eyes and made me realize that there are a lot more of us out there that struggle with PTSD or struggle with other injuries.

The trip has also increased my network of brothers and I will be in contact with some of the guys over the next few months sharing experience and being an ear if needed.

Sweden has been such an emotional week for me, being back with the lads that understand me and how and why I feel the way I do.

I'm lucky to be here now and needed this get away with VetRun180. This trip away has reset my thoughts and perspective on life, l've made new friends which I look forward to doing more with in the future, it's given me a new purpose in life have set new goals and have new plans to get on with.

I would like to thank the team in Sweden for taking us around the northern part of their beautiful country. I want to thank the vetrun180 team for allowing me to experience this journey and the lads on the ground know how much this has meant and done for me.

Benny - VetRun180 - Beneficiary

If it doesn’t challenge you, it won’t change you!

Vetrun180 are delivering an excellent opportunity for former service personnel from a wide spectrum of conflicts to do something which harps back to their former life in the military. Challenge, team work, living outdoors and having a good laugh. Great trip in good company.

VETRUN 180 takes you away from the strains and pressures of the day to day battles of PTSD. You’re among friends that have the same goal and the same desire, to overcome what haunts us each day. VETRUN allows you to speak to likeminded people without the fear of being judged. The expeditions give you a huge sense of achievement. You can once again feel alive and at the end of the journey achieve something that makes you feel proud. The main thing I have taken away from VETRUN 180, I am not alone, I have a new family of friends that understand how I feel and are non-judgmental . The expedition has given me treatment that far exceeds that of any in a clinical environment. I hope to take part again in one of the VETRUN 180 expeditions or to help others get involved in VETRUN 180.

I don't really have any words to accurately describe the week just gone.
It's was full throttle ski-doos, Banter & belonging from day one.
The reality of it’s impact is finally setting in.
I didn’t want to leave the country,
I didn’t want to leave the lads,
And most importantly I didn’t want this dream experience to end.

I found where I belonged.
I found who I am inside,
I found the me I've locked away for years since leaving the mob,
this was purely down to the lads, the Team leaders & Our guide.

This group of misfits became my family in the space of days.

We are all broken shards of the same mirror, but when together, we reflect back a perfect picture of teamwork, brotherhood loyalty, respect, and camaraderie.

This will week never be forgotten, never be replaced, and never be replicated.

But it's time to come home, and with it bring that old smiling me back too,
the me that hid away fractured & frightened after 2009.

I'm alive, I'm still here and I will be me again.

This wouldn’t have been possible without the TL’s, The Benefactors, The Guides & Hosts involved with Vetrun180, they are the real heroes here, changing lives one Exped at a time.

Tom - VetRun180 - Beneficiary

If it doesn’t challenge you, it won’t change you!

The application process was straight forward with personal interaction from a team leader from the very beginning.

During the second video call of the application process I was offered a place on the Sweden Expedition and from that moment, I had this amazing opportunity to look forward to. That alone, was enough to change my outlook on problems which were previously feeling too substantial and weighing me down.

I can honestly say that VetRun180 has changed my life. I’ve returned to my normal self and dug myself out of the hole I previously felt I was in.
There is comfort in knowing there is a charity out there who offer what VetRun do. This, along with now having met like-minded ex military personnel who have a mixture of their own personal issues.
Meeting, getting to know, and becoming friends with these guys and understanding their problems they’re dealing with, somehow helps in more ways than can be explained.
My VetRun experience began the moment I was offered a place on the expedition and I can’t thank everyone involved in the charity enough.

The Sweden expedition itself was one of the best weeks of my life. The trip was planned and executed to perfection.
As mentioned many times on the expedition, it truly is a ‘bucket list’ trip and one very few would ever be fortunate to experience.

I can’t imagine anyone not benefiting in some way from a VetRun180 expedition. At no point within the trip was any stress or overwhelming responsibilities forced upon the beneficiaries. This is a result of excellent prior organisation and on-the-ground leading from the TL’s, therefore I would recommend VetRun180 to anyone.

I’d like to take this opportunity to thank everyone involved in the successful running of VetRun180, and know, that the charity truly is achieving what its set out to do.
Many thanks for this experience of a life time.

Scott - VetRun180 - Beneficiary

I first heard of Vetrun180 through the Royal Marines network back in 2018. They were looking for applicants for a trip to Oman and I knew nothing more about it than that.

When my application was successful, I spent 10 days driving jeep wranglers through the rub-al-khali desert with 15 other veterans. I didn't know when I applied how much I needed that time away with the blokes.

After the expedition I approached my normal life with a refreshed mind and a more positive attitude. Since then, I have guided a cold weather expedition in Sweden, and then was invited to be a team leader on two Scotland expeditions, driving off road from East to West Coast.

The opportunity not only to be around the blokes as a beneficiary, but to also give back and lead expeditions, has been eye-opening, humbling, exciting and extremely rewarding all at the same time!

Finding VetRun180 has been the best thing to happen to me, the challenges I have overcome and the difference I feel and others see within myself is staggering, I never thought myself capable of achieving what I have during the trip.
Sam - VetRun180 - Beneficiary

VetRun180 is a fantastic Charity that takes physically and mentally injured veterans on challenging expeditions around the world.

Recently, after completing a short application process I was offered a space to join 10 other beneficiaries (all injured veterans) in Portugal. We deployed in 4 4x4 vehicles on a phenominal off-road experience around a mix of challenging terrains.

The expedition covered over 1,600kms from the highest peak in southern Portugal (Serra da Estrela, 1,993m) to sand tracks and sea views on the coastline. Alongside the driving experience, the team camped out each night and this helped to re-invoke the sense of adventure and teamwork lost when medically discharged out of the British Military.

Adventure therapy is the key concept of the trip, simple but challenging environments that helps us all individually develop and progress through our own recovery journey.

Thank you to the team at VetRun180 for the amazing opportunity.

Ben - VetRun180 - Beneficiary

If it doesn’t challenge you, it won’t change you!