Team Forces trailblazers … turning bold ideas into action!
In the room on Saturday, you’ll find several of our incredible grant recipients, along with others who are seeking support for future challenges. We encourage you to take a moment to connect with these extraordinary individuals and hear first-hand how your funding is truly transforming lives.
Darren Edward - adaptive adventurer
Darren Edwards is a former Army Reservist, adaptive adventurer and award-winning keynote speaker who has built a reputation as one of the world’s leading explorers redefining life after spinal cord injury. Paralysed from the chest down following a near-fatal climbing accident in North Wales in 2016, Darren has since forged a remarkable path grounded in resilience, determination and an adaptive mindset.
Within days of leaving hospital, he returned to the outdoors, beginning with kayaking and going on to complete a series of demanding endurance challenges. His achievements include kayaking the length of Britain, rowing the English Channel, completing the World Marathon Challenge (seven marathons on seven continents in seven days), and leading pioneering expeditions in some of the most extreme environments on earth.
In 2025, Darren led a world-record attempt to sit-ski to the South Pole, pushing the boundaries of polar exploration for athletes with spinal cord injuries. Alongside his expeditions, he founded Adaptive Expeditions, creating opportunities for others with disabilities to access adventure and challenge their perceived limits.
Darren will speak about expedition failure and the lessons he has learned, offering insight into resilience, decision-making and performing under pressure when plans do not go as expected.
Force Atlantic taking on the World's Toughest Row
Force Atlantic is the official British Army entry to the World’s Toughest Row 2026. The team is drawn from across Oxford University Officers’ Training Corps, an Army Reserve unit dedicated to inspiring students at affiliated universities.
The 2026 crew comprises Zack Coleman, Guy Carpenter, Laura Barrigan, Amelia Hope-Hawkins and Evangeline Davies. Racing in an R45 ocean-rowing boat under the Union Jack, the team represents the United Kingdom in one of the world’s most demanding endurance challenges.
Force Atlantic rows in support of bigmoose, Head Up, Pancreatic Cancer UK and REACT Disaster Response, raising awareness and funds for mental health and humanitarian causes.
Hari Budha Magar MBE - record-breaking mountaineer
Hari Budha Magar MBE is a former British Army Gurkha, record-breaking mountaineer and inspirational speaker. After losing both legs above the knee in an IED explosion while serving in Afghanistan in 2010, Hari faced a long and challenging recovery, both physically and mentally.
Determined to redefine what is possible, he turned to mountaineering and has since achieved a series of extraordinary firsts. In January 2026, he became the first double above-knee amputee to complete the Seven Summits challenge, finishing with the ascent of Mount Vinson in Antarctica. His achievements also include becoming the first double above-knee amputee to summit Mount Everest.
Through his expeditions, Hari raises awareness around disability, resilience and mental health, using his story to challenge perceptions and encourage others to pursue ambitious goals, regardless of the obstacles they face.
Please hear form Hari on our Team Forces podcast
Corre Mapp - leading para bobsleigh athlete.
Corie Mapp is a British Army veteran and one of the world’s leading para bobsleigh athletes. A reigning World Champion and multiple Overall World Cup winner, he has established himself as a dominant force in the sport, with an impressive record of international medals and titles.
After losing both legs in an IED explosion while serving in Afghanistan in 2010, Corie faced a long road to recovery. Within just a few years, he was representing Great Britain in sitting volleyball before being introduced to bobsleigh through rehabilitation sport programmes.
Since making his debut in 2015, Corie has gone on to win multiple World Cup titles and European Championships, as well as World Championship gold. In 2025, he secured gold at the IBSF Para Bobsleigh World Championships in St Moritz, Switzerland, further cementing his status at the top of the sport.
Corie’s journey reflects resilience, determination and a relentless drive to succeed, both on and off the ice.
Sally Orange - Endurance athlete and Mental Heath campaigner
Sally Orange MBE is an endurance athlete, former Royal Army Medical Corps Physiotherapy Officer, speaker and mental health campaigner. She has completed over 80 marathons and eight Ironman triathlons, and is the only person to have run a marathon on every continent in fancy dress — each time as a different piece of fruit.
She captained the first British female team to complete the Race Across America and has taken on challenges including the Marathon des Sables. Awarded an MBE in 2023 for services to charity and mental health, Sally speaks openly about resilience and wellbeing.
Now undergoing cancer treatment, she continues to inspire through her determination and commitment to supporting others. =
Learn more about Sally and how to support her, by listening to our Team Forces podcast, simply click here
Major Henry Wootton - taking on the Golden Globe Race
Major Henry Wootton is a serving officer in the British Army who will take on one of the world’s most demanding endurance challenges: the Golden Globe Race 2026.
The Golden Globe Race is a solo, non-stop, unassisted circumnavigation of the globe, sailed using only traditional navigation methods. Competitors rely on sextant, paper charts and mechanical self-steering, without modern satellite technology or electronic navigation aids. Entrants must sail yachts based on pre-1982 designs, placing the emphasis firmly on seamanship, judgement and resilience rather than technical advantage.
Spending many months alone at sea, facing extreme weather, isolation and physical fatigue, the race is widely regarded as one of the toughest tests of endurance and mental strength in sport. Henry’s campaign reflects not only professional skill and preparation, but also the determination and self-reliance that underpin both military service and long-distance ocean sailing.
Learn more about Henry, the race and how to support him by clicking here