The 2011 North Pole expedition
Ed and his veteran friend Simon Daglish were planning an expedition to the North Pole. After visiting Harry, Ed knew this was the perfect way to showcase the courage and determination he had witnessed among veterans. He wanted to demonstrate to the world that even with injuries, ex-Army, Air Force and Navy personnel still lead fulfilling lives.
Initially, it was tough to get support for their idea. A North Pole expedition with wounded veterans had never been attempted before. But after meeting and securing the services of Inge Solheim, an experienced polar expedition guide who had worked with people with disabilities, momentum began to grow.
Ed leveraged his military contacts to secure practical support from the Army but more funding was required. Ed reached out to another veteran, Dick Turpin, Managing Director of Artemis Fund Managers, who got straight behind Ed’s vision of showing the world what veterans could do.
The Royal seal of approval
As the expedition began to take shape, Ed had another idea how to radically increase the expedition’s profile. He knew attaching a household military name to the team could supercharge publicity. With his connection to Prince Harry's private secretary, Ed was soon talking to the Prince, who offered his full support.
Prince Harry ended up trekking with the team for four of the 13 days across the polar ice caps, generating global media attention and sending awareness of WWTW stratospheric.
The North Pole is just the beginning
After the success of the North Pole expedition, Prince Harry took Ed to one side. “You know you can’t stop now, you need to keep going.” said Harry. With this encouragement, Ed began planning the next trip for the next year. An extreme expedition. Again, with wounded veterans in the team. But this time, to the top of Everest.
The 2012 attempt to summit Everest
Ascending the world’s highest peak is a daunting prospect – unpredictable weather, freezing temperatures and altitude sickness, combined with the technical challenges of climbing a mountain.
A planned ascent from Nepal in May 2012 had to be abandoned before reaching the summit due to dangerous and unpredictable icefalls. And it turned out to be the deadliest year on the Mountain since 1996. Although a tough decision, the safety of the team was paramount and every member knew it was the right decision.
2013 South Pole expedition
In 2013, three teams of veterans with physical and mental health injuries, accompanied by the Duke of Sussex, undertook one of the most high-profile and gruelling expeditions in modern times: a 335km race across 3 degrees to the South Pole, battling low temperatures and high winds.
The teams included veterans from the UK, USA, and the Commonwealth. Each team completed extensive cold weather training in March 2013 in Iceland, learning how to avoid frost-nip and frostbite. The expedition began in November and finished in mid- December.
The expedition was sponsored by Glenfiddich and Helly Hanson and raised money for military charities across the constituent nations: Soldier On (US and Australia), Soldiers to Summits (USA) and Walking With The Wounded (UK).
The Walk Of Britain
In 2015, Walking With The Wounded undertook an extraordinary feat, covering 1,000 miles across the entire length of Britain in a span of 72 days. The team comprised two US veterans and five UK veterans, commencing their challenge in August in Scotland and concluding it in London in November.
Their journey led them through some of the nation's most iconic landmarks, such as Ben Nevis, Mount Snowdon, and Scafell Pike. The Duke of Sussex joined the expedition team on two occasions throughout the challenge, and the public was welcomed to join the team during the final leg of their journey down The Mall in London.
Sponsors, including YESSS Electrical, played a crucial role in supporting the expedition.
The Walk Of America
In 2018, three UK veterans and three US veterans embarked on the Walk of America expedition, covering 1,000 miles from Los Angeles to New York over 12 weeks (June to September). The expedition coincided with the centenary of the First World War, highlighting the shared history of British and US troops fighting bravely side by side.
The team traversed some of the nation's most iconic cities, landmarks, and communities. Along the way, they connected with US citizens who had made significant contributions to supporting those who have served.
The journey took the team through Texas, the heart of the US military family, followed by Colorado, Kansas City, and Chicago, descending from Nashville to the eastern seaboard, ultimately reaching Washington DC, and finally crossing the finish line in New York City.
Support for the expedition came from WWTW Expedition Patron, the Duke of Sussex, US Patron Dr. Jill Biden, and actor Scott Eastwood. The Endeavour Fund and various sponsors, including Starbucks, the NFL, the Bob Woodruff Foundation, Jaguar Land Rover, and the Wounded Warrior Project, played a vital role in telling the stories of the Armed Forces community in both the UK and the USA.
The Walk Of Oman (Reimagined in the UK)
The Walk of Oman was initially envisioned as a remarkable journey across the vast sands of Oman, aiming to spotlight the remarkable bravery of individuals who have sustained injuries while serving their countries. Its purpose was to highlight the ongoing need to support veterans and their families struggling with mental, physical, or social wounds and reignite their sense of purpose and reintegration into society.
Facing two pandemic-related postponements, Walking With The Wounded opted for certainty and decided to reimagine the expedition within the UK. This adaptation allowed the team to continue raising funds and awareness for the cause.
In October 2021, a group comprising five ex-military members and one current serviceman, all dealing with mental or physical wounds, undertook a staged 400km walk from Pen-Y-Fan in Wales to the Anglo Omani Society in London.
The Walk of Oman garnered support from the Duke of Sussex, serving as our Expedition Patron, and key sponsors including INEOS Grenadier, Craghoppers, Monster Energy, Shard Capital, Avanti Communications, Marsh Insurance, Invictus Games Foundation, and Outward-Bound Oman.
