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Wounded Veterans Complete Epic Trek Across America

Two British members of a team that completed an epic walk across the United States have been speaking to Forces News about how the experience has helped them to deal with some of their mental health issues.

The 'Walk of America' was a fundraising expedition for the charity Walking With the Wounded, and saw six wounded veterans - three British and three Americans - walking 1,000 miles in 12 weeks from the West to East coast.

Jonny Burns and Kev Carr were part of the British contingent and returned to the UK in September.

Walking with the Wounded team in Walk across Army veterans Kev Carr and Jonny Burns were among a team of six to walk across America — Army veterans Kev Carr and Jonny Burns were among a team that walked across the US (Picture: Walking With The Wounded).

Both men are residents at a specialist veterans support centre which aids single veterans who are homeless.

Jonny Burns had been a soldier with the Royal Anglian Regiment for eight years and had served in Germany and Cyprus.

He said even his experience in the infantry left him unprepared for the start of the expedition in California back in June:

"The first week you had the aches, the blisters, because you were literally doing 20 miles on concrete in 110 degree heat."

Wounded veterans from the UK and US in 1000-mile walk across America. — The walk saw the team passing through 75 cities and 24 states and the organisers wanted veterans to tell their stories of injury to engage in a wider conversation around mental health (Picture: Walking With The Wounded).

Kev Carr feels the expedition has helped him to address his own problems and he says it has given him a new purpose in life to help other veterans:

"I need them to speak out.
"Please don't be afraid. If you know you need help just ask before it gets too late."

Last week, the Duke of Sussex - who is also Walking With The Wounded’s UK Expedition Patron - released a personal message to the team as they completed their journey: