NO MOUNTAIN TOO HIGH FOR WHEELCHAIR VETERAN, JAMES COBBY
On the 15th June a team of Help for Heroes staff, supporters and veterans, including James, a veteran who uses a wheelchair following a serious brain injury – completed the Op Ysbrydoli challenge to climb the highest peak in Wales, Pen-Y-Fan.
They wore specially designed T-Shirts for the climb, created by 6-year-old, Sayami from Mount Street Infants, in Brecon. Children from the SSCE Cymru (Supporting Service Children in Education) were invited to enter a competition to design the team’s T-Shirts to support the challenge.
The T-Shirt is available to purchase below, with 100% profit providing vital support to veterans and their families.
Last year, a six-strong team of veterans representing Wales won the Charity’s national virtual spring games. They had such a great time together, that they’ve stayed in touch and decided they’d like to carry out a further challenge this year.
The team included a ‘ringer’, West Sussex-based, former Royal Marine James Cobby, 30, who uses a wheelchair following an accident that resulted in a serious brain injury, but who has been defying doctors’ prognoses ever since. James stepped in to fill the gap left by a last-minute withdrawal and has been regarded as an honorary Welshman ever since.
James completed the challenge, with the support of the whole group, using a specially designed off-road wheelchair.
One of the organisers, Help for Heroes’ Sport, Activity & Fellowship Lead, Nick Vanderpump, explained: “There was such a great spirit within the team they decided they wanted to undertake a further challenge together and, with the benefit of an all-terrain wheelchair – and his fabulous support team – James was there again at the forefront of it. They’re all such great friends now, it’s heart-warming.
“The idea of the climb was not to fundraise, but to demonstrate the value of fellowship and personal goal setting for veterans on their journey of recovery. And this concept is a central tenet of what we do at Help for Heroes.”
The five-strong team who took on Pen Y Fan were Cobby, from Shoreham-by Sea; Liam Mountain, from Bridgend; Matt Neve, Swansea; Jason Tamplin, Newport; and Donna Davies, who lives in Hengoed.
