Army veteran who served in Afghanistan to take on 'ultra-marathon' in memory of family member

Barry Storey 35, is a former member of the Royal Engineers who decided to test himself to the extreme and also raise cash for Blind Veterans UK, a charity which supports blind and partially sighted veterans, as well as their families.

The charity has provided rehabilitation, training, practical advice and emotional support to tens of thousands of blind veterans.

Barry has set a £1,000 target and was inspired to take on the 34-mile (55km) challenge after seeing the life changing support the charity gave to a member of his family.

The gruelling Ultra North takes place on Saturday, June 5, beginning and ending in Derwenthaugh Park in Gateshead and crossing the Millennium Bridge over the River Tyne.

The route takes entrants as far west as Wylam in Northumberland and as far south as Chopwell.

Following his time in the Army, Barry entered the insurance industry where he now works as a credit control manager.

He has previously completed the Great North Run and Kielder Marathon to raise money for the charity, but he has never taken on anything as challenging as this.

Barry said: “My sister-in-law’s father sadly passed away recently. But for the last 20 years of his life he lived at Blind Veterans UK’s training and rehabilitation centre in Brighton.

“He received the most amazing support from the charity until the very end. So I wanted to do something to give back and say thank you and this event seemed like the perfect opportunity.

“I did the Kielder Marathon 10 years ago, but since then I’ve hit my thirties and put on about two stone.

“I’ve been doing 20-mile runs in training and I’m working up to the 34 miles. I’ve had a little niggle in my leg recently so I’m not sure I’ll hit my six hour target but the main thing is to finish and raise as much money as possible for Blind Veterans UK.”

To make a donation and help Barry reach his target figure, visit his Just Giving page which is www.justgiving.com/fundraising/barry-storey2.

Support your Echo and become a subscriber today. Enjoy unlimited access to local news, the latest on SAFC and new puzzles every day. With a digital subscription, you can see fewer ads, enjoy faster load times, and get access to exclusive newsletters and content. Click here to subscribe.