Foxy, Hinett, Kane and Wood take on toxic masculinity and mental health in new TV series
Starting tonight, four veterans will tackle mental health and toxic masculinity head on in Arctic Adventure: Ultimate Survival, a new Channel 4 documentary covering their epic ultra-marathon in Swedish Lapland – Project Fire and Ice.
Former Special Forces soldier turned SAS Who Dares Wins DS Jason 'Foxy' Fox, Royal Marines Commando Sniper veteran Aldo Kane, Military Cross recipient Brian Wood and Invictus Games medalist Karl Hinett will talk openly about suicide and their own mental health as they take on the challenge to raise money for SSAFA, the Armed Forces charity.
While speaking with BFBS Radio at a press event for the show, each veteran admitted that, despite having experienced life-changing trauma and facing their own mental health challenges, Project Fire and Ice was the hardest thing they've ever experienced, but that they were determined to crack on.
Mr Fox said: "I've got mates who are no longer with us, who would give anything to be alive again and to feel the pain and the hardship that we were enduring.
"And so that's what keeps me going. It's like remembering my friends who were no longer with us."
This show isn't just about four veterans taking on a tough challenge for kicks.
Each veteran wants the show to encourage viewers to talk about their mental health and ask for help if needed because it's critical for survival.
The key message here is to be honest with friends and family and don't suffer in silence.
Mr Kane said: "[The show is] much more about what is masculinity, what is truly being vulnerable as a bloke?
"We know that suicide rates are super high in men, it's the biggest killer of men under 50 and... three out of four people that kill themselves are men.
"For me anyways, it's about suicide prevention and positive mental health."
The SSAFA challenge – known as Project Fire and Ice – was a brutal endurance race in one of the most inhospitable places on earth.
To cover 514 km over ten days, the veterans had to ski, hike and run for more than 18 hours per day, dragging 45kg sledges of food and survival gear, battle through snow in -25°C temperatures, camp on frozen lakes and sleep in isolated Arctic hunting lodges.
For Mr Hinett, this was the perfect way to mark 20 years since sustaining 37% burns to his body from a petrol bomb during an operation to rescue two British Special Forces soldiers being held in a Basra police station in 2005.
He said: "My military career, unfortunately, was very short – I was injured when I was 18.
"The crucial thing that it taught me was you get confronted with a problem, you don't just back away from it.
"You learn how to tackle it and overcome it."
For Military Cross recipient Mr Wood, extreme challenges like this mean more to him than medals because the sense of achievement he gets from crossing the finish line and raising money for military charities.
"I challenge myself... because it's what looks after my mental health and being outside in the fresh air definitely helps me.
"Movement is medicine and I want to continue to push."
He's not ready to hang up his "fundraising boots" yet – in fact, he plans to continue his fundraising and reach his goal of £1 million.
Julie McCarthy, Director of Welfare Operations at SSAFA, said: "As well as watching four friends struggle against the bracing weather and challenging conditions, it is inspiring to also see four 'tough guys' openly talking about personal issues that have affected them and how they have learned to cope.
"Stigma around mental health is still the stumbling block for so many but especially for men – and especially for men in the military community."
Anyone in the Armed Forces community affected by the issues raised in the program (or have any other problems they wish to discuss) can contact SSAFA.
The charity's Forcesline advisors are available to help with mental health challenges and stress Monday to Thursday 09:00-17:00 and Friday 09:00-16:00 (excluding bank holidays) on freephone 0800 260 6780, or online.
For urgent emotional support outside SSAFA opening hours, the Samaritans are available 24/7 on 116 123.
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