Well bloody said Graham and I couldn't of put it any better myself!

I'd like to look back later on in life and say there was one decent thing I've done, this is it. It may seem nothing special to ourselves when we are doing it but WE will look back on this in time and be even prouder of ourselves, our sport, and the people at Stoke Mandeville.

These work parties may not seem like much but they really do make the biggest difference to the people at Stoke Mandeville! It is very humbling to do work for these very special people and I am extremeley proud to work alongside my brothers in tools on this project, you are some of the best people I have and will ever know, so for that I thank each and everyone of you. You are all the finest forms our society has to offer and I am genuinley proud to call you all friends!

So to those who haven't joined us yet I ask you to set a small amount of time to come give us a hand and make a difference.

I'll now tell a little story I have kept to myself for short while. Recently as some of you may know I did the Paras 10 and chose Stoke Mandeville as a charity to raise money for in the form of sponsorship, the only condition was that I FINISH the run.

The week running up to the run I was absolutley full of flu, not normal flu, proper northern flu. Anyway it got to the day and I felt sheite and weighed my bergen it was 44.8 lbs, 9.8lbs over weight, I left the weight in. So 10 miles with 44.8lbs of kit in combat boots and full of flu over some of the toughest terrain available.

Long story short i got to about 6 miles and was knackered, pushed on till 9 miles and for those in the know there is stupidly steep hill, it's something like 55 degrees steep(that's up). Now I started ascending the hill and I had the most horrible burning pain in my thighs I have ever experienced, it was truly excruciating! Every step was pure agony, it truly was!

All of a sudden and this is gospel, I thought of why I was doing it and the people whom I have worked with on this project and the pain went. I had images of actually being on the work party weekends and the things that had happened there and the pain just vanished and before I knew it I was at the top!

It's a strange thing the mind, but I would like to take this opportunity to thank the people at Stoke and the people who have worked there for firstly inspiration and secondly for helping me prove to myself I am capable of far greater things than I could imagine. This is the payment I took from those weekends I've worked there, inspiration and self belief. So honestly chaps thankyou.