The Grenadier Walk of Oman, of which The Duke of Sussex is the Expedition Patron, will now take place in the UK.
The expedition has been postponed twice due to the Covid-19 pandemic so, for certainty, the charity has reimagined it in the UK, so they can still showcase the value of veterans and raise funds and awareness of veteran issues, especially in light of the recent withdrawal of Western forces from Afghanistan.
The six-man team of currently serving and ex-service personnel – each with mental or physical wounds – will adapt their plans and take on Pen-Y-Fan and the historic Thames Path. They will still cover the 400km distance of the original expedition, but in half the time, starting on October 10th at the Omani Embassy in London in Belgravia. The team will be supported by a Grenadier vehicle for parts of the route.
Prince Harry, The Duke of Sussex, said:
“The team at Walking With The Wounded understand that it’s not about where you walk — it’s about walking together with a common purpose and shared mission. These men and women know what service is, they’ve seen and overcome adversity, and they won’t let obstacles get in their way. They are paragons of inspiration for communities everywhere. We wish them good luck and good weather.
WWTW’s CEO, Fergus Williams, said: “The Grenadier Walk of Oman was set to be an incredible expedition across the great sands and the team have been training phenomenally hard in preparation for the desert trek. However, the continued uncertainty around the global Covid-19 pandemic and travel restrictions mean that we have had to make the difficult decision to change our plans.
That said, WWTW is excited to be bringing the expedition home to the UK and allowing the team to put their hard work to the test, demonstrate how those who served can overcome adversity and raise vital funds to support those who served.
I would like to thank our expedition partners for their continued support of Walking With The Wounded and The Grenadier Walk of Oman.”
Mark Tennant, Commercial Director, INEOS Automotive, said: “We know very well the challenges presented by the pandemic and we have great admiration for the team’s ongoing endeavours to raise awareness with this mission. It highlights the determination and tenacity of the whole Walking With The Wounded team, and we are proud to play a small part in supporting the UK expedition.”