A former serviceman from Ipswich has ran the breadth of the country in just five days - raising more than £4,000 for Walking with the Wounded.
Kyle Tyrer, 29, ran the final leg of his gruelling journey today – flanked by a procession of diggers and excavators as he made his way through the town.
Mr Tyrer, who works at Ardent Plant Hire in Felixstowe Road, had served two tours in Afghanistan with 9 Parachute Squadron 23 Engineer Regiment based at Woodbridge, and suffered from Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) when he returned.
Sometimes he would not sleep for days at a time and suffered nightmares and sweats when he did.
At one point it had got so bad Mr Tyrer said he found it difficult to even leave his home.
With help from Walking with the Wounded, a charity which helps veterans get back into work, Mr Tyrer was able to turn a corner and rebuild his life.
To thank the charity for getting him back on his feet, Mr Tyrer set himself the task of running from Warrington to Ipswich in five days.
Crossing the finishing line this afternoon, Mr Tyrer said he had underestimated how hard the 210 mile run was going to be.
“It was tough, he said, “really tough to be fair.
“I did the first day in five hours 50, the second in seven hours 40, the third in nine hours 50, the fourth in ten hours 20 and today’s run took almost 12 hours.
“I definitely underestimated it.
“It is mainly my shins, my ankles and my knees that hurt now.
“Apart from that I feel great.”
Mr Tyrer, who has a five year-old daughter Cheska, was supported by Ardent Hire throughout his run, the firm paying for all his accommodation and food and supplying him with a support vehicle for the challenge.
Helen Debenham, of Walking with the Wounded, said: “It is incredible what he has done. “It is a herculean task he has undertaken.
“He has done so much to help other people going through the same sort of issues he has gone through.
“We are very proud of him.”
Mr Tyrer has raised more than £1,200 through his fundraising page and has collected a further £3,000 in cash donations.
For more information and to donate to Kyle’s cause see here.
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