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Former solider to walk through Norwich in suit of armour
Dale Eades will be walking 10 miles through Norwich in a full suit of armour that weighs a whopping 5st 5lbs.
Dale served in the British Army for nine years and since leaving, like most veterans, he has found it difficult to adjust to life after his service.
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He said: “When you are in service, everything is provided to you: here are the clothes that you should wear, here’s all the bills that have been paid before we even give you a wage.
“You live in the block, so you’d not have to worry about that. When you’re in, you’re covered, and it’s a great institution and it really does look after you.
“The problem is when you leave, you’ve got nothing.”
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Dale is going to challenge himself to walk 10 miles in the heavy suit to highlight the impact that mental health challenges can have on everyone – particularly those who have served.
He said: “The armour is a visual representation of the weight of mental health issues.
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“It also reflects the armour we all wear to protect ourselves or hide our issues from others and attempt to show our resilience.
“This relatively simple challenge – walking – is made difficult because of the weight of the armour I am carrying.
“The task is nigh impossible without support, I must ask for help.”
Through this challenge, Dale will be raising money for Walking With The Wounded which provides mental health and employability support to help former service personnel.
Joel Oxberry from Walking with the Wounded said: “Dale has supported our work for several years and we’re not surprised he has set himself such a tough challenge.”
Dale will be taking on the challenge on Saturday (June 24), starting at 7am in Ipswich Road.
People wanting to donate to can do so at givepenny.com/daleeades_the_longest_day_2023.
