GHN Sponsored Athlete, IFBB bodybuilder and Army veteran David Neaves recently crawled the length of the Humber Bridge to raise funds for, and awareness of PTSD.
David together with Joe Hall took on the feat of endurance on Saturday, September 19. Both men from Yorkshire, completed the 4,659ft (1,420m) challenge in three hours and have raised more than £3,500.
David was part of Army operations in Northern Ireland, Bosnia, Iraq and Afghanistan during 14 years of service. After leaving the military, he lost several friends to suicide and went into a "very dark place" two years ago, attempting to take his own life. He found a "safe place" and a new focus in Bodybuilding & Fitness as he continues to earn his PRO status in the IFBB federation.
He described the challenge, using the military technique of leopard crawling, as "excruciating" and considered stopping at one point.
"It's quite emotional, I'm thinking of all the people who are no longer with us, I was thinking about them while I was crawling across," he said.
"Hopefully we'll have raised enough money to save two or three lives so it's all worth it."
David recently called for more government support for 'veterans' mental health with a Government spokesperson saying: "It's important our veterans know that the NHS is here to provide expert, bespoke support for anyone struggling with their mental health.
"We're investing £2.3bn of extra money into mental health services and our Transition, Intervention and Liaison Service also provides bespoke support for veterans."
If you would like to make a donation to David's exceptional achievement and cause then please click here for his JUST GIVING PAGE.
