Father and son raise funds for limbless veteran

A Ballymoney father and son are nearing the end of a gruelling challenge for injured and limbless military veterans in Northern Ireland.
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To recognise the 90th anniversary of the armed forces charity Blesma, The Limbless Veterans, Iain and Cameron McAfee set themselves a challenge which began on May 1 and will continue until July 31.

The duo pledged to each walk 900,000 steps (average 10,000 steps/5 miles a day) and complete 9,000 press ups (average 100 a day).

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As part of the challenge Iain and Cameron recently walked 20 miles from Ballymoney to Coleraine, clocking up over 40,000 steps in just over five hours. Both father and son have already walked their targeted steps and are on course to complete their press up total with two weeks to go.

Iain said: “We wanted to take on a something that will challenge us physical and mentally. Each day we need to get out and walk and find time for the press ups. At times you can feel lethargic and tired but compared to the daily experiences the veterans and families go through, this is nothing.”

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Iain and Cameron have already been accompanied by Maurice Bradley MLA and Cllr Darryl Wilson with other people joining them as the challenge concludes. They also recently attended a Blesma event where they met members which the fundraiser will support and heard stories of how the charity supports them.

Blesma’s Outreach Officer in Northern Ireland Fiona Morrison, who has helped rally support around Iain, said: “Blesma’s message of enabling limbless veterans to lead independent and fulfilling lives is quite powerful to me. The veterans they support, along with their families, have been through a lot and Blesma keeps them upbeat. I’ve never once heard a moan. The fact the veterans are prepared to come out, stick to restrictions and support me makes me very happy, too. It’s a great opportunity to meet and hear the stories of those the charity help.”

Donations to Iain and Cameron’s fundraiser can be made here https://blesma.enthuse.com/pf/iain-cameron-mcafee or by contacting him directly.

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