Wounded Heroes 24 Hour Challenge: Uphill battle worth every cent

The Wounded Heroes 24 Hour Challenge on Townsville's Castle Hill brought together over 1,000 competitors from all walks of life to take part in the inaugural event, raising much-needed funds for the veteran crisis support charity.  

"We've really been embraced by the Townsville community today," said Wounded Heroes President and Townsville local Martin Shaw during the event.  

"We've just tipped over $108,000 in fundraising and with our Chin-Up Challenge with Veterans First Consulting we've raised another $13,000."  

The challenge brought together ADF personnel, veterans, families, businesses and the wider Far North Queensland community—not only to test their endurance, but to bolster a sense of mateship and support for the Australian Defence Force community.  

"We're so appreciative of the Townsville community supporting our organisation and all these people going up and down Castle Hill," Martin said.

"It's been quite a phenomenal thing for me—very humbling and emotional to see the Townsville community embracing us. Apart from raising the money, it's just been amazing," he added.

On Saturday September 19 and into Sunday September 20, 'Team Green' from Veterans First Consulting was present throughout the gruelling challenge as fundraisers, a support crew and a cheer squad.

"Seeing all these events that we go to like the Veteran Games and Wounded Heroes now in Townsville, it's pretty cool the impact that we can make," Veterans First Head of Advocacy Shawn Riddell said while halfway down Castle Hill.

Co-founder Kevin Chapman and his cohorts tackled the punishing ascent, smashed out some fundraising chin-ups in the festival area and then headed back down to repeat the effort again, and again, and again.

"To see Veterans First Consulting continue to grow and to see the amount of veterans' lives that we can impact and change—how we are able to integrate into the veteran community through sponsorships, being presenting sponsors of the Wounded Heroes Challenge here and presenting sponsors for the Veteran Games across the Gold Coast, Darwin, and Sunshine Coast—to be able to give back to these veteran communities was something that co-founder Tom [Kliese] and I spoke about in the early days," Kevin said.

"I never thought we'd be able to do it to this level. But as a veteran myself, to be able to do this is just very special.

"To think that we've reached 11,000 veterans over this time is just exceptional to see. We're going to keep reinvesting back into the community.

"We're up here in Townsville now. We've got the Veteran Games finals on the Sunshine Coast at the back end of October, and there'll be another Wounded Heroes event either at the start or end of October for equine therapy.

"So there's plenty of opportunity for Veterans First to be out and about, get into this community and experience firsthand what we actually do, and how much we give back.

"At the end of the day, we're all here to help veterans. We're all fighting the same fight—just doing it in different ways.

"The first step to getting help is putting a hand up and saying you need it. So any veteran out there who needs help, I really hope they reach out. If not to us, then to someone—anyone—but reach out, get the help, ask for help.

"If you do come to Veterans First, I can assure you, you'll be looked after," Kevin added.

"$13,000 is equivalent to 65 food vouchers. What an impact!"

The Veterans First boss jumped on the chin-up bar to do his bit for the fundraising tally and threw down the gauntlet with a creditable performance.

"You should have seen him actually doing his chin-ups. He banged out 20 good heaves," Shawn added.

Veterans First Consulting proudly handed over a $13,000 cheque to Wounded Heroes from monies raised via the Charity Chin-Up Challenge, which saw competitors contributing $5 for every chin-up completed during the event and $10 for every heave during Saturday's 'Hour of Power'.

"$13,000 is equivalent to 65 food vouchers. What an impact," said Kim Shaw from Wounded Heroes.

"Amazing effort. Thank you."

The current fundraising total from individual competitors, teams and organisations sits above $121,000, with the tally continuing to rise—providing crucial funding for support as the Christmas, school holiday, and New Year period approaches.

"It's a good way to raise money and awareness for the people who came before, those who are currently serving and those from the past who have injuries, can no longer serve or are no longer with us," said one of the competitors, Jake.

"It's a good cause to come out here, rack up some kilometres, and make some new friends along the way."