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Gloucestershire Army captain to traverse UK in straight line challenge

George Bromley Capt. George BromleyGeorge Bromley
Capt Bromley broke his neck playing in an Army rugby game in 2019

An Army captain who broke his neck playing rugby in 2019 is to embark on a gruelling challenge to kayak, walk and swim from Land's End to John O'Groats.

Capt George Bromley, 36, who is based in Gloucester, is taking on the "Beeline Challenge" - a straight line journey of around 745 miles (1,200km).

He will be making the trip to raise money for the charities that helped him recover from his injury.

Capt Bromley said the challenge has given him "something to reach for".

He is raising funds for five different charities - the Armed Forces charity SSAFA, the Limbless Veterans charity Blesma, Rugby for Heroes, Help for Heroes and the Royal British Legion - who helped him fight his way back from the injury.

"The biggest challenge I faced was the mental battle," he said.

George Bromley George Bromley in hospitalGeorge Bromley
He said the hardest part of his recovery was the "mental challenge"

"With an injury like that you don't know your worth and you think you're not going to be employed any more, you could lose this or that, or your home, or your living.

"That is something I really wanted to fight against. This challenge was something to reach for, something to look forward to, something to keep me going."

Capt Bromley, who is part of the Allied Rapid Reaction force in Innsworth, said he has studied charts and tides in preparation, but is still "worried" for any weather changes.

"The Bristol channel is a scary place. I'm going to be in the middle of it for the best part of a whole day," he said.

"The Isle of Man and the Irish Sea, that journey is about 43 miles (70km), so that is also a worry."

Mr Bromley training
Capt Bromley said he is most worried about the weather during the challenge

Gloucestershire Blesma representative Chris Knight said Capt Bromley's challenge is "honestly incredible".

"If he was paralysed from his rugby injury, there are charities that would have been there to support him," he said.

"He's now fundraising for those charities to acknowledge them."

Capt Bromley Capt Bromley in a kayakCapt Bromley
He has been training on the Gloucester and Sharpness Canal

Capt Bromley said he is looking forward to being back in nature and seeing the coastline.

He added that it will remind him of how lucky he is to be able to "have that chance".

"That's when I'll be smiling the most," he said.

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