‘No one chooses to be injured, but I feel lucky. I am still here’

receiving a standing ovation from more than 85,000 people at Wembley Stadium on Sunday was one of the proudest moments of Scott Ransley’s life.

The former Marine and his five injured colleagues had just completed a gruelling 1,000 mile walk of Britain in 72 days for the charity Walking with the Wounded.

“It was a tough challenge, but that’s why I wanted to do it. To stand in the middle of Wembley Stadium at the end isn’t something you will get to do again.”

Scott, from Ripponden, was one of four British and two American servicemen and women chosen to take part in the event and they were joined at times by the charity’s Patron, Prince Harry.

“Getting the chance to spend a couple of days walking and chatting with Prince Harry like he was an ordinary bloke isn’t something I am going to for get in a hurry either.”

Scott was left blind in his right eye in 2011 after a IED (improvised explosive device) blast in 2011 in Nadi Ali Helmand, Afghanistan.

“I was with 42 Commando Royal Marines, Lima Company, on Operation Herrick 14 in 2011 when I got injured. We’d been out in Afghanistan for about three and a half months. On the day it happened – May 15 – we were heading towards an IED-making facility to try and take it down, and we’d had to navigate our way through a minefield before we could even get close to the compound it was located in,” recalls Scott, who joined the Marines when he was just 19.

“There was suddenly a loud bang and a flash. My friend had stood on an IED and was killed. I was hit in the face by shrapnel.”
Scott underwent four operations, two in Afghanistan and two at Birmingham Eye Hospital, to remove the shrapnel from his eye but he was told he would lose the sight in his right eye.

He came to terms with only having one working eye quite quickly, but it was being forced to give up the job he loved that Scott found harder.

“I was doing really well in the Marines and had just been promoted before it happened. I think I would have ended up in Special Forces but then suddenly it was all over.”

Scott, who comes from a long line of soldiers, was discharged from the Army in 2012 and had to readjust to civilian life, becoming a personal trainer.

But he missed the challenge posed by his job and so when he was asked if he would like to take part in the 1,000 Walking with the Wounded Walk of Britain expedition he jumped at the chance.

“When I decided to do the walk the main reason was for me, but over the 72 days I came to realise that it wasn’t just about me it was about all those wounded servicemen and women who have been injured.

“It also made me realise that although I had lost my sight I was in a better position than a lot of the people I was with. We all got on so well and we really kept each other going. I have made friends for life. There were tough times, particularly at the beginning when were still weren’t used to walking eight hours a day.

“But when someone was having a bad time someone else was around to get them going again – it was a real team spirit.

As well as Scott, the other team members were fellow Royal Marine Alec Robotham, Matt Fisher and Stewart Hill they were joined by US Marines Andrew Bement and Kirstie Ennis.

“Having the Americans there added a different dimension to the trip. Because of my Yorkshire accent it took them the first week to start to understand what I was saying,” says Scott.

“They were all inspirational, so I have lost my eye and some people have lost limbs but we met people with injuries you can’t see, people with PTSD (Post Traumatic Stress Disorder) and I think that is far worse than anything I have to deal with so I am not going to start moaning about what happened to me.

“We met so many people and were, made so welcome. I had no idea how big the whole thing was going to be, but I jumped at the chance to be involved with WWTW, and want to bring attention to the work the charity does and of course, to other wounded who face the same challenges.”

Scott has been helped through the last four years by his partner Jemma, who has been his rock.

They have been together for 14 years and were childhood sweethearts.

“Scott and I met because my best friend lived round the corner from his Mum when we were at school together,” says Jemma.

“When you are with someone in the Forces, you think it will never happen to you. So the day we got the call to say he had been injured was the worst in my life.

“I got to speak to him 24 hours later and he sounded okay so we could relax a bit. His Mum, sister and I drove to the hospital in Birmingham and stayed close to him for the two weeks before he could come home.”

“The dark days seem to be behind us. I am so very proud of Scott for doing this walk. It is great that he has done something to be again part of a military type operation with like-minded people.”

Having only completed the expedition on Sunday Scott is taking a well-earned break although he would love to do further challenges in the future.

“Of course no one would choose to be injured but I do feel lucky. My friend lost his life, I am still here.”

Walking Home For Christmas is Walking With The Wounded’s campaign to support veterans who don’t have a home to walk to this Christmas.

It costs just £10 towards the cause to enter

Walk as far as is challenging for you, one mile or 100

Just make sure you do it between December 12 – 26

Natalie Sykes will be walking 190 miles from Hersham, Surrey – her southern home – where she works, to Holmfirth, West Yorkshire, her northern home where her parents live.

Follow her blog thegirlthatswalkingtoyorkshire.tumblr.com/

For more visit walkingwith thewounded.org.uk